


Shadows of Life

by Krzy_ktty101



Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 05:06:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 67,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12101352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krzy_ktty101/pseuds/Krzy_ktty101
Summary: Kaoru's life is turned upside down when she learns of a dark secret in her family. Now she must risk everything to protect those she holds dear, and her family's honor. Will Kenshin and the others be able to protect her from this new threat, and herself?





	1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Rurouni Kenshin; I just love the series. All rights are reserved for the original author and publishers.**

In the 17th year of the Meiji era, the breezes were blowing softly in early March as Winter gave way to Spring. Tokyo was buzzing with local and foreign merchant ships alike; the streets were filled with tourists and shoppers.

At the Kamiya Dojo, Kaoru was up with Kenji cooking breakfast while Kenshin had already started on the laundry. Ayame and Suzume were running around playing with a paper ball, patiently waiting on "Uncle Ken" to finish his chores. Kaoru poked her head out of the door for a moment after ensuring that the food was still ok, "Kenshin, do you know when Yahiko and Yutarou should get here? Breakfast will be ready soon, and it isn't like either of them to miss food!"

"I am sure they will be here any minute Karou-dono, that I am. We don't have to worry about them."

"I guess your right! It is just unlike them, and their classes will begin within the hour after all. And I need to talk to Yutarou today anyway."

As Kaoru finished her sentence, Kenshin turned his head towards the gate, sensing a presence approaching. "I am sure that is them approaching now, that I am."

The gate door was opened, revealing two young, strong men standing side by side. Yahiko took a step inside, and faced directly towards Kaoru, "Yo! Ugly! I could smell your poison from down the block! What the heck are we going to have to shove down our throats today?"

Kaoru's face turned into a fearful scowl immediately, and you could almost see the steam coming out of her ears. "Why you ungrateful little brat. You could always go find your food elsewhere you know! And you better watch out, I may be a house-wife now, but I am still the Master of the Kamiya Kasshin style, and you're still only the apprentice!"

Yahiko took another step forward into the open field of the dojo grounds, an air of confidence following him as he went, "I could take you any day, and with my eyes closed, ugly!"

"Why you!"

Kenshin looked back and forth from Kaoru to Yahiko with exacerbation, "Oro?"

Yutarou stood between Karou and Yahiko waving his hands around to grab both of their attentions. "Come on now! This really isn't the time for this you know! We have classes soon Yahiko! And Kaoru-dono's cooking has gotten a lot better over the years! Now can we please move on?"

Yahiko let out a loud laugh at the frustrated expression his friend was giving him, "Ya sure. I was just messing with her anyway!"

And so the group of friends sat along the porch eating their breakfast in peace, chatting about local gossip around town. As breakfast was winding down, Kaoru decided to use the opportunity to speak to Yutarou, "Yutarou, I need to talk to you for a minute."

Yutarou stood up, and placed himself in front of Kaoru, in order to give her his full attention. "Sure Kaoru-dono, what do you need?"

"I would like you to leave tomorrow for Aizu for two weeks. We received a request for lessons at a dojo there. The master was a friend of my father's from the revolution, and he wants some of his more enthusiastic students to learn some of our teachings. I can't send Yahiko this time because he is just too busy with the local lessons. This is a good opportunity to further your skills as the second Kamiya Kasshin style apprentice. Will you please go for us?"

"Sure Kaoru-dono. I don't mind at all; it is like you said, it will be good for my training anyway."

Just then, Yahiko picked his head up and turned towards the group, "Oh ya, I almost forgot, I got another letter from Sanosuke."

Everyone in the group turned their heads towards Yahiko immediately, surprise clear on their face; however, Kaoru was the first one to act. She smacked Yahiko over the head and chided him saying, "How could you forget something like that Yahiko? You always forget Sanosuke's letters! What does he have to say this time? Quick"

"Hold on ugly! I forgot because first we were fighting, then we were eating, and then you started talking to Yutarou."

"Well Yahiko, why don't you tell us what it says," said Kenshin with a peaceful simile on his face.

"Sure, lets see…

_Hey, Long time no see! I hope everyone is still well! I am currently in Shanghai! Next stop is home! Should be home in time for the cherry blossoms. So make sure you have a cup of rice and a bowl of miso ready for me when I arrive!_

_Sanosuke!_

Karou continued to stare at the letter in amazement, "Wow, I can't believe that dumb free-loader is finally on his way back! We will have to throw a Sakura party! Yutarou, you should make it back just in time. Will you please try to convince Megumi to return with you for a short stay?"

"Sure Kaoru-dono, I am sure she would love the visit anyway."

"Great, well why don't we have dinner at the Akabeko tonight to see Yutarou off?" said Kaoru cheerfully when she stood up with Kenji.

"Sure thing, I will let Tsubame know when I see her after practice." Said Yahiko as he was walking towards the dojo.

But Yutarou grinned at him and said, "Or I can tell her personally. After all, I need to say goodbye to Tsubame!"

Yahiko turned around and rushed Yutaro immediately attacking with his boken. Yutarou immediately caught the weapon with his fists, and continued into a strike of his own. Yahiko, being the quicker of the two still, used one hand to catch Yutaro's boken.

While Kenshin smiled at the playful exchange Karou stood and struck both boys over the head with one swing of her fist, "Listen you two, we don't have time for this! You can fight over Tsubame's affections later on. Now get to your class!"

Late that evening, the full moon was bright overhead, and the stars shone brightly. There was a cool winter/spring chill in the air, that made the occupants of the home bundle themselves up tightly. Kaoru, having much weighing on her mind, was unable to sleep; so she slipped out from the bed quietly, not wanting to disturb Kenshin, and slipped her rob around her. She quietly slid the screen door open and slipped through, closing it again behind her. The cool air startled and awoke her senses, and she shivered slightly underneath her thin robe. She continued down the walk way until she reached the garden, and perched herself against one of the support beams of the porch. Letting out a sigh, she continued on with her thoughts.

Sometime later, the absence of Karou woke Kenshin. He grew slightly nervous when he did not see her in their room; figuring she must be outside somewhere, Kenshin grabbed a blanket and continued to look for her. A few moments later, he could spot her silhouette, highlighted by the soft moonlight, by the garden. He stopped for a moment, his breath taken away by her beauty, and reminded of how lucky he was to have her in his life. "Can I take this seat Kaoru-dono?"

Kaoru, not realizing that anyone was behind her was startled momentarily, "Huh? Oh Kenshin, of course. This is your home too; you're welcome to sit where ever you please."

Kenshin smiled at her warmly and sat down beside her, wrapping them in the warm blanket he brought with him. "It is a beautiful moon, is it not?"

Kaoru looked up at the sky again pondering, "Yes it is. You know, there were many nights when I was worried that this was only a fleeting dream. It always seemed like fate was trying to drive us further apart rather than together."

A brief pang of sadness crept into Kenshin's heart as he remembered the less peaceful times, as he remembered Jinchuu. "Yes, it did, but your faith in both me, and in us, was stronger than the force of fate Kaoru-dono, that is was."

Kaoru turned her face back to Kenshin and smiled weakly, "Yes, I guess it was. I am glad that everything worked out in the end Kenshin. I am not sure how life would have been had I never met you Kenshin, but I am sure on one thing. It would have been lonely to have met you, only to lose you."

Kenshin wrapped his arm around Kaoru's shoulders and leaned his head against hers, "I know exactly what you mean. That one time I tried to leave you behind in Tokyo was the third hardest night of my life. It felt like I was leaving myself with you outside that dojo. I am glad that I underestimated you, because you brought myself back with you. I would not have been able to defeat Shishio without knowing that I had you to come back to Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru rested her head against Kenshin's peacefully, "Well, I am glad that I could be of help to you. That is all I ever wanted."

And they remained that way under the stars for quite some time, just enjoying the silent company of one another. "Kaoru-dono, what is bothering you so much this night that it caused you to ponder alone under the stars."

Kaoru turned her head to the sky, not wanting to worry Kenshin, but fearing that facing him would give herself away. "Nothing Kenshin, I just couldn't sleep is all."

Kenshin frowned at Karou, sensing her stress, and knowing her well enough to pick out her lies. "Kaoru, you can confide in me you know? I will always be here for you."

Kaoru didn't want to make Kenshin worry needlessly, or to think less of her. What Kaoru was truly worried about was finances. With her family, Yahiko, Yutarou, Megumi, and Sanosuke, expenses, especially food, were sure to skyrocket. Although the dojo was much busier these days, the larger student body also meant more expensive upkeep for the dojo. In reality, they were no better off now than they were 6 years ago. She was worried about how she would support so many people. Even in marriage, her pride and independence had never wavered. The Kamiya Dojo was her responsibility, and therefore everyone under its roof was under her care; motherhood only enhanced these feelings. She felt like it was her place to make sure everyone was provided for and cared after. After all, everyone else was her guests, and Kenshin already had to go through so much in life, he deserved to rest. However, Kaoru just wasn't sure how she would find the extra funds. As strange as Kaoru seemed to the town, it would defiantly be looked down upon if she were to go find a job while Kenshin stayed at home. Not to mention, this would cause Kenshin to worry needlessly. So until she figured it out, she was resolved not to bother Kenshin with her fretting. "It really is nothing Kenshin. I just couldn't sleep, so I decided to enjoy the stars."

Kenshin knew that she was still holding back, and was saddened by this; however, he felt it would be rude to intrude any further, and left the subject alone. "Well then my love, how about we return to bed?" Kenshin inquired with a sly look on his face.

Kaoru was glad that he let the subject drop and stood up with his aide, "Yes, lets."

 


	2. Chapter 2

The delicate singing of the morning songbirds could be heard floating through the thin walls of the school; they combined with the soft chirping of crickets to form a morning symphony of sorts. Crisp morning dew had collected and covered the grounds in its fine mist. The sun had just woken up, and begun it lazy assent over the horizon. Kaoru lay content in her futon, enjoying the peaceful morning, and the even more peacefully sleeping husband next to her. She smiled fondly as she ran her delicate fingers through his long red locks; he unconsciously pressed his head further into her hand. She marveled at the simplicity of the act, yet how impossible it seemed so many years ago. The fact that Kenshin could sleep so soundly, even next to her, was a gift; it was a sign that he was truly healing.

The small, soft pounding of scurrying footsteps on hard bamboo floors could be heard resounding through the quite home; Kaoru let out a gentle sign. It seemed that their peaceful morning was finally over. "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" screeched the smaller red head as he burst through the screen door. Kenji ran quickly towards his mother and threw himself into her waiting arms.

Frowning slightly, Kaoru admonished her little sprite tenderly, "Kenji, what have I told you about being too loud in the morning. Your father is still asleep, and I would prefer it to stay that way."

Kenji peeked over her shoulder to peer at the sleeping form of his father, noting that his mother was in fact right. Sticking his small tongue out at the sleeping offender, he looked at his mother with his best imitation of a reproachful son, "Sorry."

Kaoru laughed quietly despite herself, squeezing Kenji into a gentle, yet firm hug. She took hold of his small hand, and tried to silently lead him out of the room. Once outside, and a somewhat safe distance from the sleeping quarters, she finally thought it would be safe to see what the ruckus was about.

"You're supposed to train me today Mommy!" pouted Kenji as he shot her an indignant face.

To say that Kaoru was a bit startled would be an understatement. "Kenji, at this hour? Yahiko isn't even here yet."

"No, I don't want Yahiko. I want Mommy!"

Kaoru sat down on the porch, pulling her young son into her arms. "Kenji, we have talked about this before. Yahiko is a true master of the Kamiya Kasshin style. He has trained under me for 6 years, and he is strong. His age alone is the only reason why he is still the adjunct instructor."

"But Yahiko is a meanie!"

"Kenji, correcting you on your mistakes doesn't classify him as mean." Kaoru took her slender finger and poked Kenji on the nose as she chided him.

"I want to be stronger now! Mommy is stronger!"

Kaoru laughed, not missing the irony of the situation. It seemed like it wasn't too long ago she would hear the same thing from Yahiko; however, he always preferred Kenshin. "I'm not so sure of that anymore Kenji, Yahiko is very strong."

Kenji shot her a distrustful pout, "But mommy always beats Yahiko, and last week you beat Daddy. Mommy is the strongest!"

Kaoru lifted Kenji from her lap, and placed him standing in front of her. Gaining his full attention, she looked Kenji in the eyes as she spoke. "Kenji, I beat Yahiko because I have been training with him for years. I know him, and more importantly, I know his style. If I was a stranger, I doubt I would ever win. I beat Daddy because he is gentle. Your father could never see me as an enemy; he could never do anything that would hurt me. Although your father is no longer as strong as he once was, he is not a man to be taken lightly. I win simply because he lets me. There are more important parts to swordsmanship than pure strength, why is that the one fact you are focused on?"

Kenji looked down at the ground, no longer wanting to meet his mother's stern yet gentle eyes. "Because I have to protect Mommy. I love Mommy!"

Kaoru kneeled down on the soft earth, pulling her son into her embrace; wiping the small tears from his face. "It's Mommy's job to protect you silly. Come on, we'll train until breakfast. And remember this, if you tell Yahiko anything I just said, you'll think that he is a training saint compared to me."

A large smile burst onto Kenji's face as he exploded out of his mother's arms and down towards the dojo.

Later that morning, "Meh"s and "Kya"s filled the dojo; the occasional crack of a shinai reverberating off the walls. Both were so involved in the training that neither noticed the smiling shadow peering through the door.

"No Kenji. Strength in a swing does not matter if your arms flail about. Concentrate on your form; Do it 100 times!"

Kenshin chuckled at his son's audible moan; the scene reminding him of many training sessions with his own master. He seriously doubted Kenji would ask his mother for another training session any time soon. He continued to watch them undisturbed for a while longer, absorbing the serenity of the moment. Kenshin marveled at the fact that he could even have peaceful moments like this in his life. The fact that someone with such heavy sins to bear could enjoy the simple company of a loving wife and child was amazing to him.

Although young, Kenshin could definitely see great potential in his son; he knew that Kaoru was hard on him because she saw it too. It shouldn't come as any sort of surprise to him considering who his parents are; however, it instilled a sense of pride and fear into Kenshin. The fact that Kenji was so gifted with the art could prove difficult down the road. Would the sacrifices that Kenshin made early in life be enough to spare his son the pain of war? Would Kenji re-live his father's sins?

Wrapped up in his own internal musings, Kenshin at first didn't notice that mother and child had completed their lesson. They sat in the middle of the dojo, one facing the other, discussing something as teacher and student.

"Being gifted isn't enough Kenji; if you want to become strong, you must practice. You will have to hone your body and mind over time. If you concentrate on one, and neglect the other, than you will be a weak sword. You may be sharp, but you will be easily broken. This is important to the style that your grandfather left for you."

Kenji stared at his mother pensively, his young mind not really grasping everything his mother was telling him. His mind though did wrap itself around one key point. "Where is grandfather?"

Kaoru sighed and looked toward the ceiling, "He is in our hearts. He can no longer hold us, but we hold him with us."

Now Kenji definitely looked confused. "But you sometimes leave, and you're here now."

Kaoru stood so that she could close the distance between them; kneeling in front of Kenji, she held his face in her hands. "Yes sweetie, I am here with you now. However, one day I will be like grandpa and you and Daddy won't see me. But that doesn't mean that I won't be with you. When that time comes, you'll be strong as long as you hold me in your heart."

At her words, Kenshin held his breath, his right hand gripping his heart. Briefly, darker memories flooded his consciousness, and he worked to push them back. He could not, would not, imagine a world without her in it.

Kenji continued to stand there for a few more seconds, trying to understand what his mother meant. "I don't get it?" said Kenji as he shook his head back and forth.

Kaoru smiled as she stood up and faced the door where she sensed her husband. "You will when you are older. For now, just remember it, right Kenshin?"

Startled at the fact that he was not as well hidden as he believed, Kenshin stepped into the room and embraced his wife. "Yes, that is right. Breakfast is ready."

Kenji jumped into the air and vaulted himself towards the door, "Yay! Food!" He almost made it until he could feel his mother's firm grip latch onto his head as he tried to pass.

"After you clean the dojo little man!"

Laughter floated through the halls as mother and father laughed at their fiercely pouting son.


	3. Chapter 3

The streets of Tokyo were buzzing with daily activity; stall vendors yelling about sales and wares, shoppers haggling for bargains, tourists perusing the streets, and government officials parading to their next appointment. In this crowd was a small family simply trying to purchase groceries; a whole lot of groceries. Kenshin was tired and sure his back would soon break. "Kaoru-dono, did we really need all this?"

Kaoru turned around to face him and smiled mischievously, "Probably not, but I wanted to give you the chance to show off those huge muscles. In reality with so many guests coming, I wanted to stock up on supplies while we still can."

Kenji, who in Kenshin's mind had been trying extremely hard to trip him, was dancing around his father's feet. He stopped abruptly in front of Kenshin, laughing hysterically. Kenshin danced and twirled, trying not to drop everything after his son's quick stop. "Hehehe! Daddy and muscles! Hehehe!"

Kenshin settled himself then frowned, she was right. Their purse strings would soon be stretched a little thin, especially with the ever hungry beggar Sano. As they continued to walk, a large crowd of men could be seen in the distance. The hum of excitement charging the air could be felt, and it drew the attention of all those who passed. Everyone seemed to be crowded around one gentleman standing at a podium in front of the train station.

"I wonder what all that fuss could be about? Kenshin, let's go check it out." said Kaoru as she marched off.

"Kaoru-dono….!"

"Yes gentleman you heard right! As much as 200 yen or more in one night! All you have to do is guard the train as it makes it way up the new rail to the Hokkaido region. Any and all applications will be considered, all that is requested is a show of skill."

Kaoru turned to Kenshin with a smile on her face, and he was instantly wary. He could tell something was cooking in her head; he was sure he would not like it. "Kenshin, did you hear that! 200 yen!"

The gentleman's voice boomed over the crowd once more, "Anyone interested, please meet back here at 8 tonight!"

Kenshin looked at Kaoru sternly under the weight of their goods, "Kaoru, we're not even going to think about it. The memory of what happened the last time I was stupid enough to take a job such as this is still fresh in my mind. Not only do I not want to lose you, but I have Kenji to think about as well, and I will never do something so reckless again."

"But it isn't like we will be in the middle of the ocean this time; it will just be a train!"

"First off Kaoru-dono, there is no "WE". Second, there is no "I" either. I remember what happened the last time I was on a train. The confined space of a train makes it much harder to fight properly. We are not so strapped that we have to risk our lives. We should take Kenji home."

Kaoru looked at him disappointed for a moment, but then resigned herself to following her husband. However, not without thought; throughout the day, her mind wandered back to the man with the promise of easy money.

Later that afternoon, Kaoru's thoughts still lingered on the train protection detail. " _I know that Kenshin has a point. The last protection detail didn't end so well, and most of Kenshin's true power is gone now. Even if his strength wasn't gone, he deserves rest. I am a master of the Kamiya Kasshin style. There is no reason I couldn't participate, besides the fact that I am a woman. I am strong enough for something as simple as this. Besides, we will need the money. I have to take care of everyone, it is my responsibility._

Kenshin watched Kaoru carefully as he prepared dinner for the evening. He was weary from the day's activities, and worried over Kaoru's quiet and thoughtful demeanor; something was still bothering her. He could tell that she was still contemplating something; however, every time he tried to get her to open up, she would lock him out. No one, especially Kaoru, spent this much time thinking about, "Nothing." He loved her independent nature, but it could sure be a road block sometimes.

After dinner, Kaoru and Kenshin tucked Kenji into bed. Kaoru quietly walked to their bedroom and grabbed a small bag that held masculine clothing and bandages. She then joined Kenshin outside under the moonlight. "Kenshin, I promised Tae I would bring her a package today at the Akabeko, I will be back in a little bit ok?"

"Kaoru-dono, at this hour? Can't it wait until morning?" inquired Kenshin, worried at the prospect of Kaoru wandering the night streets alone.

"No Kenshin, I promised her I would get it to her tonight, I was too busy earlier to try." And she smiled at him warmly, in order to re-assure him; it appeared that it did not work.

"Well than let me accompany you"

Kaoru gave Kenshin an exasperated sigh, "Then who is going to stay here and look after Kenji Kenshin? I know you're worried, but I will have you remember that I used to walk the streets alone all the time before you came along! And I am not your average female. I will be fine. Don't wait up for me!" She held his hand briefly before she walked out of the front door. " _Well that went better than I thought it would."_

Kaoru found somewhere discreet along the way to re-dress herself. She pulled her hair back, bandaged her chest, and tried to disguise herself as a male, or as much as possible. Once she got to the designated meeting place, she took a seat at the back of the room and looked around her. The room was filled with close to 2 dozen men, most of them of a more muscular build. There was a group of 5 in the right corner, gambling with European cards; most were drinking sake. Everyone appeared rather ruthless with their various weapons of swords, daggers, and spears; tempers were short and tension was tight. " _Boy, this looks like a fun group! What am I getting myself into here!"_ Kaoru deciding it would be wiser to not get involved with anyone here, turned her head towards the floor and sat down waiting for the meeting to start.

"Yo! Look at the runt over here! What's a scrawny little boy like you doing here? I know! You're here to help us. We need a good dummy to train! Ha Ha Ha Ha!"

Kaoru could see the large callused feet in front of her, and turned her head slightly up. The impending fellow stood at 6'1" and easily 240lbs; a scruffy black beard adorned his rough tanned face. She sent the man a glare through her bangs as she replied, "Leave, I have no desire to waste my time with someone such as you." And then she turned her head back down to the floor.

The man drew his sword in an outrage, "Why you little! You will pay for that!" And swung his blade down on top of Kaoru. Kaoru easily dodged the attack and drew her bokken with ease. Pushing out of the roll with her back foot, she lunged for the man quickly using her hilt. She thrust the hilt of her bokken into his hand in one fluid motion, throwing off the balance of his attack. She then quickly proceeded into an offensive attack; slamming the wooden sword hard into his side.

The man crumpled to the ground holding his side, barely able to catch his breath. Kaoru stood confidently over him, placing her bokken back on her waist, "Train for a few more years and then try again. But until that time, I suggest you watch who you pick your fights with."

A strong clap could be heard on the other side of the room and Kaoru turned her head towards the disturbance. "Well done my boy, well done! With such skill, we could definitely use your skills!"

Kaoru angled her body towards the figure in order to give him her full attention, "Would I be correct to presume that you are in charge of this mission?"

The man smiled slyly at her, "Yes I am. My name is Futsuzu, Futsuzu Kaoi. And I would like you all to provide me your attention for just a moment."

"Now then. As I said, my name is Futsuzu-san, and I represent a train line that travels to the Hokkaido region on a newly constructed rail. We transport not only passengers, but a large wealth of materials and goods as well. Lately our train has been stopped by a band of pirates, and we would like to hire guards in order to protect the train and its contents. We will pay 30 yen for the successful delivery of the train, and an addition 50 yen for each pirate you take down. A final 200 yen will be given if you can take out their leader as well. Does everyone understand? Great! The first train will leave late tomorrow morning and should return by early morning of the third day. If you are still interested, please step forward and provide us with your information."

A line of men eager for "easy" money and glory quickly rushed the line. Kaoru, wanting to be as un-noticed as possible, and patient enough to wait, walked calmly to the end. During this, the manager's stares at Kaoru did not go un-noticed by her; however, she kept her confidence and continued to ignore them. When her turn finally came, she was the last one in the building.

"Name." grunted the desk worker.

"Shinta, Shinta Sagara." said Kaoru simply. The name came to her easily while she was waiting in line.

"Experience!"

"20 years swordsmanship training. I fought in the battle of Kyoto 6 years ago, and in the battle of Tokyo a few months later. I am a master level swordsman."

Futsuzu looked on in amazement, impressed that someone so young could be so accomplished. "I knew it, I knew it from the moment I saw your fight that you are not like the others! Your stronger, and more experienced! You have true skill! Sagara-san, I would like you to lend us your experience, and lead the guard. In return I will offer you a higher pay of 50 yen per trip! What do you say?"

Kaoru looked him in the eye, amused by his wonder. " _If he thinks I am strong, I could only imagine how he would react to the others!"_ Kaoru chuckled quietly at the thought and then re-gained her posture. "I see no problems with such an arrangement. I was here for the job regardless; this just gives me more incentive. I will see you tomorrow sir." Then, without waiting for a reply, Kaoru turned around and walked out the door.

As Kaoru changed once again into her kimono and tied her hair with her ribbon. " _I better hurry back before Kenshin gets too worried."_ When she got to the front gate of the dojo, Kaoru tried to open the door as quietly as she could. However, as soon as she closed the door and turned around, she could see Kenshin standing in the clearing, clearly waiting for her.

Relief washed over his face at the sight of her safe return, and he walked quickly to greet her. "It took you much longer than I thought it would Kaoru-dono. I was growing quite worried! Were you able to give Tae what she required?"

Kaoru smiled at him, "I am sorry Kenshin; I didn't mean to worry you. Yes, I was able to get Tae the item I promised, but then we began talking and I lost track of time. I am sorry that I had to worry you."

Kenshin took her had, needing her warm touch to calm himself fully, "Don't worry about it Kaoru-dono. Shall we retire for the night?"

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea."

The following morning Kaoru got dressed and prepared herself for her first mission. Since Kenshin was so used to seeing her in her training uniform, she did not have to worry about raising suspicion. When she was finished, she went to go find Kenshin, not at all surprised when she found him already working on the laundry with Kenji playing close by. "Good morning Kaoru-dono. Training today?"

"No, that is what I came over here to talk to you about. We got a training request from a dojo about 2 towns over. He was a friend of the dojo and has helped us in the past, so I can't really say no. With Yahiko teaching classes, and Yutarou gone, that really only leaves me. I know I said I gave up teaching, but I don't really see another way. Not to mention, we could use the extra money anyway."

Kenshin looked up from their laundry briefly, "Ok Kaoru-dono, but Kenji and I sure will miss you. How long should you be gone?"

"Hum, let me see. I should be back by early morning of the third day, so tomorrow will be the only full day I am gone."

Kenshin stood up and brushed the water off his hands. He embraced Kaoru briefly, "Ok, take care then Kaoru-dono. And make sure you come back home to us safely!"

Kaoru returned the embrace warmly, "Don't worry Kenshin, I always do."

Kaoru quickly embraced Kenji, and then set off towards the train station with her bokken in hand and determination in her heart.


	4. Chapter 4

Kaoru's first protection detail went off without a hitch, and she carefully stored the 50 yen away. Although she was proud of her accomplishment, there was no way to let the others know about the size of the money without suspicion arising, so she quietly placed it into the savings fund. The next four days continued on like normal. Yahiko continued to teach the dojo classes, Kaoru and Kenshin did their normal daily chores, and Kenji happily followed his mother around the grounds, practicing his swordsmanship on the unsuspecting Kenshin and Yahiko whenever he was able. Kenshin could sense that Kaoru was less stressed, and had mostly returned to her normal self. He relished in her happy presence, and the peace it gave him.

However, a sense of dread could be felt, for he knew that Kaoru would have to leave again tomorrow morning for another "training request." Kenshin understood the reasons, but it did not mean that he would not miss her; nor did it mean that he would not worry while she was from his sight. Kaoru could sense Kenshin's trepidation, but knew that there was not much she could do to ease his worry.

That night they sat on the porch together under the stars, enjoying the simple presence of the other. "I am sorry Kaoru-dono that I do not provide better for our family, and that you are forced to work."

Kaoru chuckled softly and placed a hand on top of Kenshin's. "Kenshin, there is nothing to apologize for. I love the art of the sword, the gift my father left for me, and I love my family. There is no need to apologize for allowing a woman to do something that she loves."

"I just wish that I was more useful to you. Then you wouldn't have to leave our side so often in one month." Then Kenshin turned towards Kaoru, admiring her silhouette under the moonlight.

Kaoru continued to look toward the stars, "Kenshin, you do plenty for the family. You protect us when required, you love your son, you help me take care of the dojo and the chores, you help train Yahiko, and you have ended my loneliness. You deserve this peaceful life, and that is enough for me."

Kenshin, although not completely agreeing with the words that Kaoru said, gave himself a moment to absorb their meaning and the love that she conveyed with them.

"And please don't worry Kenshin. I will be back around mid-night on the second day; so it will be either late on the second day, or really early the morning of the third. You will hardly notice my absence."

Kenshin shook his head with a slight frown, "I seriously doubt that Kaoru-dono. You will always be missed, but I do understand, that I do."

"Thank you Kenshin. Remember, that everything I do, I do for you and our friends. I should make enough money with this next job that I won't have to take any extras for a while. When all this is over, we will be able to relax and have a lot of fun with our friends."

Kenshin smiled and turned his head towards the stars, noting that their beauty was pale in comparison to Kaoru's. "Kaoru-dono, I am sure we would have plenty of fun regardless of income."

"You know, it is going to feel a lot like old times now Kenshin! When I get back we should also invite Misao and Aioshi for a visit. With Sanosuke and Megumi in town, it will be like old times!"

"Yes, I suppose it will, but I hope this time it is without all the fighting."

Kaoru let out a carefree laugh, "I don't think that will be a problem Kenshin, if anyone is going to be fighting this time, It will probably be Sanosuke, and I don't think we need to worry about him, don't you?"

"I suppose your right there." But then Kenshin became somber as memories of the darker past flooded his brain. At the memory of Kaoru's death, he felt like his heart stopped. He turned his eyes towards hers, and poured all of his emotions into the gaze as their eyes locked, "Just please be careful Kaoru. I am not sure what I will do if I ever lose you again."

Kaoru was momentarily stunned by the depth of emotions that Kenshin uncharacteristically showed with his piercing gaze. Her expression softened as she placed her hand on his cheek softly, while still holding his hand with her other. "Kenshin, you never lost me." Placing the free hand over his heart, she continued, "I am always right here. Now let's go to bed, this will be our last night together for a little while."

Kenshin leaned into her hand for a moment, being reminded by her warmth and smell that she was in fact still in front of him. He never knew how he ever received a gift such as her, and knew that he did not deserve it, but even so, he was happy to have her in his life. He continued to hold her hand and they walked together to their room, both enjoying the love from the other.

The next morning Kaoru slipped out from the dojo earlier than normal already dressed in her training gear. Although the last mission had no problems, that was simply because there was no attack. The mission and protection units were poorly organized, and she promised the manager to arrive early today to work out a new arrangement.

"Ah, Shinta-San. Good Morning! You are ready I presume?"

Kaoru cocked her eyebrow in his direction in order to convey the feeling of "are you kidding me?". "Futsuzu-san, I would not be here if I was not ready. What are the specifics of this trip?"

"As blunt as always Shinta-san! Ha Ha! That is what I like about you! No beating around the bush, the true sign of strength!" Futsuzu's face was alight with joy, and his mind was racing with the prospects this boy's presence would mean. With Shinta around, he was sure things would be a success!

Kaoru shot him another warning glance, and his laughing quickly stopped. "The train, right! Well you already know the schedule for departure and arrival. This time the trip back is more important that the one there. We will bring back a large shipment of gold for the government, and its protection is our top priority. There have been reports of pirate activity over the last few days, so I am not sure this trip will be as easy as the last."

"I see, in that case I recommend that we split the fighters into squadrons; we will ensure they are balanced. Each squad will take control of one car, and we will place then in both directions; with the car containing the gold in the middle of the train. I will lead a squadron with the strongest fighters, and we will be in the car with the gold as the last line of defense." Kaoru handed the manager a sheet of paper and continued on with her instructions, "I recommend the squadrons be set up as instructed on that paper."

Futsuzu looked over the plans carefully and pondered the instructions that Kaoru provided him. Finally, he agreed, after all, "Shinta" was the most experienced of them all.

Yahiko arrived at the Kamiya dojo around mid-morning in order to mooch some breakfast from Kenshin. Yahiko walked into the kitchen, happy to see that he wasn't too late. "Morning Kenshin!"

Kenshin turned around and with his signature smile greeted Yahiko, "Morning Yahiko! You made it just in time for breakfast! Will you be joining Kenji and I?"

"Well since ugly isn't the one cooking it, I would be stupid to turn my nose up at good food!"

Kenshin laughed at Yahiko's jab, surprised that he felt the need to poke fun at his teacher even when she wasn't around. Kenshin was sure that at this point, it was almost second nature to him. Kenshin set out the food for the small group, not realizing until it was too late that he made a bowl for Kaoru. Kenshin sighed, already missing her warm presence.

"Where is the old hag anyway? This is the second time she has gone missing in the last week! It really isn't like her?"

Yahiko grabbed a flying chopstick that was dangerously close to his face. "Mommy isn't a hag!" screamed a small voice. Across the table sat a very indignant Kenji, scowling at Yahiko. This only caused Yahiko to laugh as he placed the chopstick back on the table.

"Now, Now you two. She had another training request in a neighboring town. She should be back some time tomorrow mid-night. Until then, we are on our own."

Yahiko took this in with surprise? Kenshin seemed to be calm relaying the news, granted his expression appeared to give off a hint of loneliness. However, it wasn't like Kaoru to take on extra training requests without talking to Yahiko first, after all, he was the assistant master now. Waiting until Kenji was dismissed to play outside, Yahiko asserted his slight concern. "About Kaoru, are you sure Kenshin? Kaoru doesn't normally do something like that without running it by me first. Not that she asks for permission or anything, but when it concerns the school, she normally keeps me in the loop."

Kenshin realizing there was truth to this and was worried for a moment. Kaoru had been hiding something recently, and she did seem worried earlier in the week. However, he couldn't see how that would relate to her leaving, and couldn't think of anything besides teaching that would take her away over night. "That is what she said Yahiko, and I didn't press further. I am sure she just didn't want to bother you with the details. You are pretty busy with Yutarou gone."

Yahiko shrugged his shoulders as he continued to shovel rice down his mouth. "Yeah, I guess you got a point there, and it isn't like she has any reason to lie to us anyway, right!"

"Right" Kenshin replied simply, but a growing sense of unease started to fill him. Something about this situation wasn't sitting right, but there wasn't much he could do about it now. He would just have to wait patiently for Kaoru's return he surmised.


	5. Chapter 5

The first half of the train ride to Hokkaido port was as effortless as the first mission. The squadrons were divided up easily and each managed their car well. However, Kaoru knew that the tough part was just beginning. If there was any chance of attack, it would most likely be on the return trip when the cargo was richest, and the pirates suspected the protection detail would be tired. Suspecting this up front, Kaoru encouraged the squads to get as much rest as possible on their way up. The train arrived at its final destination early the next morning, and the squads had a three hour window to explore the town, get breakfast, and return for duty.

As the teams departed the train, they congregated in one central location off the side of the train station house. It seemed they were trying to decide what to do while in town. Kaoru originally planned on staying close to the train, seeing no reason to go wandering about. "Hey Shinta-san! Why don't you come eat breakfast with us!" shouted a rather outgoing youth, no more than Yahiko's age. "Yeah! You can't always be so aloof! A bunch of us are going to hang out and burn off some steam, you might as well join!" said another man about her age as he joined in. All of a sudden, most of the fighters were surrounding Kaoru, and dragging her with them to the local beef pot restaurant. Kaoru laughed at their enthusiasm as she tried to keep up with their fast pace! "Alright, Alright! But I can walk you know! And No drinking any one of you"

The group let out an audible moan upon hearing that ultimatum, "Look I am not saying it to be mean, but were on a job here you know. How are any of you supposed to protect anything if you're drunk!

For the next few hours, the group ate and regaled one another with various "war" stories, each one trying out do the other. Finally they all looked to Kaoru expectantly, knowing that with her experience, she should have some of the best stories to tell. "I am sorry to say, but if you all invited me here to listen to stories, you will be disappointed. I have no intentions of sharing."

"But why?" said the group almost in unison.

"Simple, I find no glory in re-living the fights of my past. I fight when it is necessary to fight, and for many different reasons. But I do not take pleasure in the telling of someone else's pain; nor do I take joy in re-living my past sins. The point of life is to continue forward, and that is what I do. If you want to hear a war story from me, than you will just have to pay attention tonight when you live through one."

The group fell silent for a few minutes, digesting what she said; each pondering on its meaning. When Kaoru grew tired of the silence, she stood up and addressed the group, "Well men, get you fill of fun and food and meet back at the train in 30 minutes. Anyone not there on time will have to find their own way back." And with that she smiled and she turned towards the door, and copied her friend Sanosuke with a wave over her shoulder. "Ja Ne."

Meanwhile, Kenshin was spending the morning taking care of the laundry and playing with Kenji. Although, while on the surface he seemed happy and content with his chores and company, his thoughts were consumed with Kaoru, and his conversation with Yahiko yesterday. Something didn't seem right the more he thought about it, but he couldn't figure out what exactly. Kaoru gave him no reason to doubt her, and her worries were probably over finances. He could figure out that much considering she brought it up multiple times, and the number of guests visiting soon. Even so, he couldn't get the worry out of his mind and heart.

While he was thinking, he could hear the bell of the front gate ring as the door was opened. Kenji ran past him, "Mommy, Mommy!"

Kenshin trotted after his overzealous son, "Sorry Kenji, that cannot be Mommy. She isn't due back until much later."

"Visitor?"

"So it seems, that it does." Kenshin smiled and stood up, wiping his hands on a cloth before heading towards the door. He was rather surprised to see Tae there. "Good morning Tae-dono! What brings you here today?"

"Good morning Kenshin-san. I was hoping to visit Kaoru, it has been a bit since I have seen her after all."

Kenshin looked surprised for a moment, caught off guard by her comment. "I am sorry Tae-dono, but Kaoru-dono is out of town. She had to give a training lesson, but she should be back by tomorrow. Didn't you just see her earlier the other week when she brought back that item you requested?"

Now it was Tae's turn to look confused, and she thought for a few moments over what Kenshin could possibly mean; however, she could come up with nothing. She let out a small laugh to burn off the confusion, "I don't know what you are talking about Kenshin-san. I haven't seen Kaoru in 2 weeks, and she certainty didn't bring me anything earlier last week. Granted the training probably explains why I saw her at the train station the other day; although, I don't often see her wear her training gear in public; I almost didn't recognize her!"

Kenshin was rather startled now. Kaoru was definitely hiding something, and it had to be big if she was lying to him.

"I didn't say hi because she seemed to be in an important meeting with a merchant at the station."

It took only moments for everything to click. Kenshin immediately remembered the merchant outside of the station promising large sums of money for a protection details, Kaoru's interests peaked by the promise of the money, the 8:00 meeting the merchant said would be held the night she disappeared, Kaoru's recent disappearances. Fear took over when he was sure that he found the answer, and a slight anger that Kaoru would do this to herself, and her family. _"How could she do this? How could she risk her life this way; just for a few yen? Does she think so little of herself that she does not realize her importance to us? How can I protect her if she is willing to take such risks? Did she not hear me when I asked her to be careful! What could possibly be her reason!"_ As he thought this over Kaoru's voice popped up clearly in her head, _"Remember, that everything I do, I do for you and our friends."_ Kenshin sighed and said barely above a whisper, "Oh Kaoru, what have you done!"

Tae watched warily as she could see the various emotions of utter fear and anger cross Kenshin's face, and worry crept into her heart. But she dare not disturb his thoughts, realizing that something important was going on that she did not yet understand.

"Tae-dono, can I ask a favor of you? Can you please watch Kenji for a while? There is something important that I must take care of, that there is." As Kenshin asked this favor of Tae, he conveyed his desperation to her unwillingly through his eyes. So great was his desperation that he could not contain it from his expressions.

"Sure Kenshin-san, but what is going on?"

"Kaoru-dono may be in great danger because she was not forthcoming to me. I have to make sure she is ok." As soon as his sentence was finished, Kenshin took off with lightning speed towards the station.

Tae stood in place for a moment startled and confused by the prior events. As the haze cleared from her mind she thought out loud, "Oh Kaoru, I hope that whatever you are doing is worth it, because you sure have made that man worry." With that she walked into the dojo and continued to play.

Kenshin reached the train station within moments, and rushed inside. After assessing his surroundings for a few moments he spotted someone who seemed to be in charge of the station. He approached him as calmly as he could, "Good morning sir, do you mind if I ask a few questions?"

The gentleman startled by Kenshin's sudden approach turned to face him smiling, "No problem sir, although I cannot guarantee you an answer. What can I help you with?"

"Earlier this week, there was a gentleman outside your station looking for people to hire for a protection detail. Could you tell me a bit about it?"

"Oh, you must be talking about Mr. Futsuzu. His company runs a train that runs goods and passengers to the Hakkaido region. Lately his trains have been ravaged by a band of ruthless pirates, so he needed to hire able bodied fighters to provide protection to his goods."

Kenshin tried hard to control his emotions, but it was nearly impossible as the information proved it was as dire as he feared. Even so, he pushed his feelings to the background in order to gain the information he required. "Could you tell me if he has had any success yet?"

The man replied immediately with a smile on his face, "Oh yes, the turnout was great. They had one incident free run that returned about three days ago. They had another one leave yesterday, but it isn't due back until early tomorrow morning. Mr. Futsuzu does not seem too worried at the moment; he is pretty confident in his "trump" card."

Kenshin was intrigued for a moment, curious as to what this "trump card" could be. "What is his trump card?"

The man laughed out loud, "Not a what, but a who! I have only seen him in passing. The gentleman was rather too small and feminine to be a fighter, and only uses a bokken; however, Mr. Futsuzu says his skills are unmatched. He has been made the leader of the protection force due to his experience."

Kenshin thought the description definitely fit Kaoru, "Sir did you catch this warrior's name?"

The gentleman was starting to get curious as to why Kenshin wanted all of this information and became wary. "Could you tell me why you require such information?"

Kenshin, used to thinking fast on his feet from his days in the revolution, came up with a lie quickly, "You see sir, my younger brother has been disappearing for days at a time recently, and our mother is very worried about him. I am just trying to figure out where he is."

The gentleman somewhat appeased, decided to answer Kenshin with this last piece of information, "I am really not sure because I have not met him personally, but I believe he went by Shinta, Shinta Sagara."

Kenshin's could have sworn that both time and his heart stopped in that instant. She used his name, his birth name, his and Sanosuke's names both to pull off this foolish stunt. He wasn't sure if he should be honored or furious.

"Now sir, that is really all I can tell you. Like I said, the train should be already on its way back now, and will be in later tonight. So I suggest that you go home and wait for him there. Have a nice day."

Kenshin walked outside of the train station, and sat down on the front steps, requiring a moment to think. _"So regardless of reasons, Kaoru is currently miles away, trapped on a train that may or may not be attacked. I am still in the middle of Tokyo, with no way to reach her. My ignorance may have cost me everything! There really is nothing I can do now besides return home, and pray for her safe return."_ "Kaoru, please be safe!" And with that, Kenshin made his way home anxiously.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun was setting over the distant hills, painting the sky in various deep hues of blue, red, orange, and purple. What was left of the waning light was reflected softly on the ocean; the water reminded Kaoru of those western mirrors she saw in Yokohama. She was admiring the beauty of the scenery on her way back to the main car. She had just finished her rounds checking up on the other squads; making sure everyone was alert and ready. " _If this trip were under happier circumstances, than Kenshin sure would have enjoyed this view!"_

The train had been traveling for several hours now, but it was still a few hours away from its final destination. It was about to enter "no man's land"; a stretch of countryside where towns, and therefore help, were few and far between. Out here would be the train's most dangerous stretch, due to its isolation. This region is also where the majority of the attacks have taken place. Kaoru's recent rounds were to ensure the men were prepared.

Once back in the main car, Kaoru took up her post with her elite team of four other men. Her four other squad members were the best; they all used swords proficiently. Kaoru had the four of them surround the gold pile, while she took point, like the tip of a pyramid. She stood on the stack of gold filled crates with graceful ease, knowing that her position would allow her to defend all angles quickly and easily; luckily, she was short.

"Yo Shinta, why do you use that bokken anyway? You would think someone of your skills would know how to use a real sword!" Inquired the same eager youth from breakfast, clearly bored by the lack of action. " _He really is like Yahiko in so many ways!"_ thought Kaoru.

"Well Kiego, there are a few reasons. For one, the bokken allows me more freedom of movement without trouble from the government. Two, it is lighter in weight. Three, in this confined car, its smaller size is more beneficial. Four, it is all I require to do the job."

The man looked puzzled for a minute, "Yeah, but you couldn't kill a fly with that thing!"

Kaoru cocked her head at him, and gave him a sly grin, "Although it is true that it would be harder to kill with this weapon, I assure you it is not impossible. And it is not in my belief to kill. Killing is not necessary to accomplish one's goals. The teaching of my style is to use the sword to control your opponent's movements, and therefore control the battle. You can then use your skill to fight at your pace; therefore, wearing your opponent down. When the time is right, you strike, knocking him out. At that point, his life is in the hands of the government, where it should be."

"Interesting, but it sounds like it makes fighting a lot harder than it had to be."

"Kiego, who ever said that the easy way in life is the right way?"

As she finished her sentence, the quite night was pierced by screaming heard from down the train as the sounds of metal meeting metal resounded through the air. "Everyone, on alert! They're here!"

The wait seemed to take hours, but in reality it was only a few minutes until the doors to the car were thrust opened. Dread filled Kaoru's heart as she realized it was not one of her own men walking through the doors, but 4 pirates from both sides of the car. "Well, well, well! What do we have here? Boss, looks like we found the gold after all, and there are only 5 weaklings left to protect it. This will be easier than I thought!"

Kiego stepped forward, sword drawn and pointed at his opponent, "I think you're mistaken. It is 5 against 4; it looks like to me you are the weaklings! AHHHH!" and Kiego charged at the 2 pirates in front of him with his partner to his left; the other two fighters charged the final two on the other side of the car.

"Wait you fools! Come back!" Kaoru screamed; she watched in horror as her comrades quickly fell injured and unconscious. Her men were quickly overwhelmed by the power and skills of the attackers. Combined with the tight quarters and limited swing paths, her men were beaten before the fight even started.

Kaoru flew down from her post as she saw the pirate who addressed them first trying to deliver the finishing blow to Kiego. She weaved past his swinging sword and slammed her bokken into his jaw. As she continued her movements through him, she rounded the hilt of the bokken into the man's neck, quickly knocking him out. As soon as her attack was through, she shifted her stance towards the other 3 attackers.

"You bastard! You'll pay for that!" And the other three pirates charged at Kaoru with fierce determination. Kaoru borrowed Yahiko's trick and used the confined space to her benefit. She turned around and ran in the opposite direction, leading the pirates to the end of the train. The adrenaline pumping throught her veins, years of practice, and experience in combat kept the fear at bay; however, her nerves were on edge. As she ran, she could see the bodies of her other comrades littering the train cars, but she pushed the scene to the back of her mind. She knew now was not the time to worry about them, and hoped that some were still alive. When Kaoru would approach the outside space between cars, she would use that opportunity to turn quickly kicking the opponent closest to her rear. This worked twice, forcing the other two pirates off the still moving train and into the wilderness, leaving the battle to only her and the final attacker.

The man was a good 6 feet tall, and wore a heavy beard on his face. He had a rough scar that ran down his eye from his forehead to his cheek. His eyes seemed to be painted red from all the lives he took; he truly was an unnerving sight to behold. He slowly approached Kaoru, "I must admit, you are pretty good to take out my three best subordinates, but I am afraid that I won't be so easy."

Kaoru ignored his remarks and readied her stance, waiting for her attacker to make the first move. The two squared off for a few moments, each trying to read the strength of the other, a temporary stale-mate as it were. Then in a flash, the gentleman charged Kaoru. She easily read the attack and ducked, allowing the surprised pirate to fly past her. As he ran past, she thrust her sword into his side; the loud crack of a broken rib could be heard through the silence.

Kaoru quickly stood again and readied her stance for another attack. The attacker struggled to catch his breath, his hand was firmly wrapped around his side. "You're going to pay for that!" he huffed out through clenched teeth. "People don't crack my ribs and live to tell the tale!" The man charged at Kaoru again, holding the sword close to his left side. Kaoru reading the attack coming from the left, tried to shift her stance and attack from the opening on the right. As she moved in for the attack, the pirate shifted the sword to his right from behind his back and swung his katana upwards. Kaoru was un-prepared for the attack. She screamed in pain as the sword slashed up her side with brute force; the blood already seeping through her clothing. She tried to back away quickly, but she stumbled as she tried to catch her breath, and took to her knees. Once the sword tore through Kaoru's side, the mysterious attacker shifted and swung again downwards over her head. Kaoru had little time to prepare an effective block from, so she held her bokken over her head in order to slow down the strength of the swing. The sword slashed through the bokken and down her chest; leaving a large sweeping chest wound from one corner to the other.

As the pirate swung the sword for another attack, Kaoru secured the broken hilt of the bokken in her hands, "Kamiya Kasshin-ryu ougi Tsuka No Gedan Hiza Hijiki!" However, the force of the attack on his knee was lessened due to her severe injuries, she lacked strength. Simultaneously, as Kaoru moved in for the attack, the pirate pulled out a hidden dagger and thrust it into her shoulder.

Kaoru fell to the floor kneeling, her eyesight forming black spots from blood loss. She reached up and removed the dagger from her shoulder, blood pouring down her arm. Every inch of her body felt like it was on fire, and she could feel her consciousness slipping. She could barely make out the figure of the pirate advancing on her once again, sword held high ready for the finishing blow, "I admit you did well to last as long as you did, but it is time to end this. DIE!"

Kaoru closed her eyes and bowed her head as she waited for the final attack, " _I'm sorry Kenshin."_

At the dojo, dinner was over and Kenji was asleep. Kenshin had taken up pacing in the open grounds, anxiously waiting for Kaoru's arrival home. Kenshin told Yahiko and Tae what little he knew earlier that day. He knew that Tae would have talked to Yahiko in his absence, and he knew that once he returned he wouldn't be able to dodge either of their questions.

They were both shocked that Kaoru would pull such a stunt to say the least, but thankfully kept their thoughts to themselves, only speaking to reassure Kenshin that Kaoru was strong and would be alright. However, Kenshin could feel their worry.

So now, here he was trapped in his house because he couldn't leave Kenji alone, feeling useless, and desperate for Kaoru's safe return.

He sat on the porch, deciding to try the mediating methods that Aioshi taught him in order to calm his spirit. Being as tense as he was, even when Kaoru did come home, he wasn't sure if he would hug her or kill her himself. Mediating was never Kenshin's forte, but he was willing to try anything, because mindless pacing wasn't helping.

The calming atmosphere did not last long. Kenshin lifted his head towards the gate as he could feel Kaoru's presence surround him. Then as though she was standing right next to him, he could hear her weakly, yet clearly say, "I'm sorry Kenshin….."

Panic ran through his body and a fear unlike one he had known in the last 6 years nested in his heart. He jumped up screaming, "NOOOO! Kaoru! Hold on Kaoru!

Kaoru was startled; she swore she could hear Kenshin's voice. His voice brought back memories of their time together; the day they first met, when he rescued her from Jin'e, their talk under the stars of the Aioya, their return from Enishi's island, their wedding, and the last night they spent together under the stars of their home. She remembered his sad and somber look as he told her "Just please be careful Kaoru. I am not sure what I will ever do if I ever lose you again." _"Kenshin! I have to fight for Kenshin! I can't let it end this way!"_

Kaoru thrust her hands upwards with a strength she didn't know she had left, catching her attacker off guard. "Kamiya Kasshin-ryo ougi Hadome - Hawatari!" The attacker stared in shock and horror as the hilt of Kaoru's bokken slid up his sword and hit full force in his jaw; thus causing the man to fly backwards over the car railing, off the train and into the night.

Kaoru collapsed to the ground, exhausted and gasping for air. She had lost a good amount of blood at this point, and she could feel her consciousness slipping again now that the adrenaline had passed.

She could hear footsteps approaching calling out her name, "Shinta! Shinta!", but did not have the strength left to answer.

Kiego was horrified at the sight in front of him when he arrived in the last car with the rest of the squad. When they regained consciousness, they were all surprised that they were still alive, and could hear the sounds of fighting off in the distance. Correctly assuming that Shinta must have protected them by taking on all the attackers himself, they tried to rush to his aide, but now they were worried that they had been too late.

The sight that greeted them was "Shinta" laying on the ground, barley consciousness, with blood pouring out of her chest, her side, and her shoulder; it looked closer to a slaughter house than a train car. Although they all considered themselves to be decent fighters, they had no medical experience and did not know how to help their fallen comrade. "Shit! Shinta, hold on buddy! We're almost to town, just hold on another hour Shinta! Just hold on!" But the voices became more distant as Kaoru's eyes closed and she slipped away into oblivion.


	7. Chapter 7

The first soft rays of dawn spread over the skies of Tokyo, painting the horizon a blood red. Kaoru never made it home to the dojo the night before; Kenshin was now past fear and panic, and quickly entering mania. He quietly, yet quickly paced back and forth on the dojo grounds, right outside the training gym. His jaw was clenched tightly, hand firm on his sword's hilt, and eyes looking far into the distance. His mind was swirling in chaos, yet he knew he had to at least try to keep calm for Kenji.

Kenshin had found it nearly impossible to keep his hysteria to an acceptable level; the last thing he wanted to do was worry his son. When he was Kenji's age, he was already used to death and despair; he wanted to keep his son's eyes innocent as long as possible. He would do anything to prevent them from being clouded over by blood. That being said, even Kenji was slightly confused when his mother wasn't there that morning. Kenshin quickly came up with a lame excuse about Kaoru being delayed by the school; luckily Kenji was too young to catch his father's lies.

Kenshin smiled briefly as he looked into the dojo and saw Kenji practicing his morning sword routines. Kenji was a natural with the sword, but considering his parents, that should be no surprise. "Ha! Ha! Ha!" Kenji's form was almost perfect; the sounds of his training easily carrying out to the garden grounds. Kenshin was sure Kaoru would beam with pride from the sight; if she ever got the chance again.

Kenshin was pulled out of his internal hysteria when the bell from the front gate rang, "Kaoru!" Kenshin called out in hopeful expectation; he was so worried he forgot that Kaoru wouldn't need to use the bell. Kenshin's heart dropped when he took in the sight before him. In front of him now stood, not Kaoru, but a very pale and fearful looking Ayame.

"Ayame, what is it? What is wrong?" asked Kenshin with his voice strained trying to hide the utter fear he felt inside.

Tears welled up in her eyes; she stuttered her sentence as she tried to utter the hard truth to Kenshin. "It's, It's, It's Kaoru Uncle Ken!"

Kenshin's face fell and fear plainly fell across his face. He struggled to stay in place and listen to the rest that Ayame had to say. Kenshin could feel a magnetic force already pulling him towards his wife.

"Kaoru is very injured and Grandfather sent us to find you. He said to meet him at the clinic right away Uncle Ken."

Kenshin dashed for the front gate, turning around only briefly to relay a simple set of instructions to Ayame. "Ayame, please take care of Kenji, and there are some left over's in the kitchen for breakfast. Please also send Yahiko to the hospital as soon as he arrives!"

Ayame quickly nodded her head in agreement, not quite sure if Kenshin saw as he flew out of the front gate.

" _Kaoru-dono…Kaoru-dono…..Kaoru-dono…."_ was Kenshin's only thought as he ran through the streets of Tokyo towards Dr. Gensai's clinic. Dr Gensai was already at the front door waiting for his arrival when Kenshin got there. "Dr. Gensai, where is Kaoru-dono? How is she?"

Dr Gensai gazed at Kenshin with a solemn and tired expression. The visible bags under his eyes were darkened with black rings; his eyes appeared watery and blood shot. His shoulders hunched ever so slightly as he leaned against the door for support. It was clear to Kenshin that he had not slept in hours. "She is stable for now Kenshin, but her wounds are pretty serious. Around midnight a group of 4 thuggish looking men appeared carrying what appeared to be the body of a young man; they were also accompanied by a rather rich merchant. They claimed the young man was their leader, and that his name was Shinta. He apparently was severely hurt in a train battle trying to protect them and the merchant's goods; they seemed very desperate as they carried him into my office. I however, knew as soon as I saw her that "he" was Kaoru, and instructed them to return to their stations, and that "he" would be in good hands. They seemed reluctant to leave, but I convinced them they would just be in the way here. I was alarmed at her state, and to be quite honest, I was surprised she was still alive. She was unconscious, and lost a lot of blood. She has 3 different blade wounds, most likely from a katana from what I could tell. There is also one possible dagger wound on her shoulder. I sewed up her wounds and finally managed to stem the bleeding. However, she still hasn't regained consciousness. At this point, there is nothing else that I can do; it is all up to her. I am sorry Kenshin."

Kenshin's eyes darkened as he heard what Dr. Gensai had to say. The air around him hummed and cracked with violent intensity; leaves swirled and split in mid-air. The intense anger was like a thick red fog that clouded Kenshin's vision. Dr. Gensai shifted uncomfortably under the atmosphere's pressure and his friend's obvious distress. When Kenshin finally noticed Dr. Gensai's discomfort, he tried to regain his composure, "Can I please see her?"

Dr. Gensai placed a comforting hand on Kenshin's shoulder and said, "Sure, she is right in there."

As Kenshin started to walk in the direction that Dr Gensai had instructed him, he was suddenly stopped by the kind doctors hand.

"One moment. The merchant gave me this for her. He said it was his pay; that he earned it. Kenshin, just prepare yourself for what you will see in there."

Kenshin took the money purse and nodded his head, but Dr Gensai could see that his thoughts were miles away; even his eyes seemed empty. Seconds later, though it seemed like hours, when Kenshin reached the doorway, he froze. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, he couldn't even breathe. To Kenshin, it felt like not only his feet, but the entire world had been swept out from underneath him. To say he was shocked by her state was an understatement, though he never showed any emotion on the surface. Her skin, although normally light yet warm, was now void of any color. Her breathing was fast, labored even, and shallow. Kenshin could tell from the bandages where her wounds were, but he couldn't tell the severity. "Dr. Her wounds?" asked Kenshin in a hollow voice.

Dr. Gensai stood behind Kenshin at the doorway, allowing Kenshin some privacy with his wife. "She had three; all were rather severe. She had a deep cut on her side, a rather nasty slashing wound across her chest from one corner to the next, and finally a dagger like wound on her shoulder. The shoulder wound will most likely have some muscle damage, and will take some time to recover."

Kenshin only nodded his head in reply as he slowly ghosted into the room to take up his post next to his ailing wife. "Thank you Dr. Gensai for your help."

Dr. Gensai smiled at Kenshin before replying, "Think nothing of it my boy. After all, Kaoru is practically family." And with that Dr. Gensai left to tend to his other daily patients.

Kenshin carefully placed Kaoru's hands in his, and was startled by the chill in them. He pulled the blanket covering Kaoru up closer, trying to get warmth back into her body. "Kaoru-dono, you look worse than I did after fighting Shishio, that you do. Kaoru…"

"Holy! What the hell happened Kenshin?"

Kenshin turned his head and saw a pale Yahiko standing in the door way, utter shock plain on his face. The far off, dead, look in Kenshin's eyes didn't give Yahiko much reassurance either. Kenshin calmly told Yahiko everything he knew so far as Yahiko took a seat next to Kaoru, opposite of Kenshin. "Idiot….Why would ugly do something like this? That is the one thing I still don't understand!"

Kenshin never took his eyes off Kaoru, but answered Yahiko's question anyway, "She did it for us. Although it was the wrong choice, her heart was in the right place."

Yahiko was surprised by this answer and almost fell over backwards in response. Anger erupted from his voice, "How do you figure that one Kenshin!"

"Simple. Everyone is coming back to the dojo to visit soon. There will be us and Yutaro, plus Megumi, Sanosuke, and I am pretty sure she was planning on inviting Misao and Aioshi. She was worried about how she would pay for so many people? She wanted to make sure that everyone was taken care of and would have fun, but she knew we really didn't have the money for it. My guess is she took the job to earn the money, to ensure everyone's happiness, because above all else, Kaoru-dono is selfless."

"But why not tell us? Why not have us go instead? Why risk it herself?"

"She didn't tell us because I was there when she heard the announcement. I said no immediately, remembering the boat fiasco from years ago. If you remember, the only reason she was on that boat then was for us as well; however, she didn't tell us because she didn't want us to worry. Just like then, she didn't want us to worry over her this time, even if her judgment was misplaced. As you can see, this is the end result of my ignorance."

"Kenshin, you can't blame this on yourself. It wasn't your fault. How were you supposed to know something like this was happening! None of us figured Ugly was stupid enough to pull a stunt like this!" There was a sense of conviction in his voice that almost made Kenshin want to believe him, but underneath it, Kenshin could still feel Yahiko's worry.

Yahiko cleared his emotions from his face, knowing that they wouldn't help Kenshin now. "Look Kenshin. What is done is done. Of course you couldn't protect what wasn't here. This isn't your fault, and it isn't hers either. Sometimes things just happen and it is out of our control. Kaoru is strong; we just have to trust in her strength. For now, let's get her home. I am sure she will be more comfortable there."

Kenshin smiled slightly at the strength of his young friend, slightly amazed at how well he had matured. "Yes, I guess you're right. Let's take her home Yahiko."

Pain, that was Kaoru's first thought as her consciousness slowly came back to her. It felt like a house had fallen on her. She lay there for a few moments trying to allow her mind the time to come back to her fully, trying to remember what happened. She slowly remembered the train, and her fight, but found her memory was blank shortly after her victory. She still felt too weak to open her eyes, so she allowed her other senses to fill the room and find her bearings. She could feel the warmth from the sun and hear birds chirping in the distance. She could hear the distinct sounds of training coming from the dojo. She also felt a presence next to her, gently holding her hand.

Kaoru struggled to open her eyes, and was blinded by the bright light. Her head felt like a lead weight, so she could only rotate it slowly from side to side, as her eyes took in the clearing shadows. She could begin to make out the outline of a figure to her left, lying down beside her, and guessed that must be the person holding her hand.

As she continued to lay there for a few moments, allowing her eyes time to adjust to the light, slowly the shadowed figure became clearer. Her heart leapt with joy and fear equally as she realized it was Kenshin. She was glad to see him, but she was not looking forward to his reaction of the stunt that he obviously knew of now. She also felt a pang of regret as she realized the suffering that she must have put him through. For now, she let him be; he looked far too peaceful to disturb at the moment.

Kaoru could hear footsteps drawing nearer from down the hall, and turned her head towards the door. She smiled weakly as she saw Dr. Gensai enter the room.

"Thank Goodness! You're finally awake my child! Everyone was so worried for you!"

Kaoru frowned, wondering how many knew of the fiasco and replied hoarsely and softly, "I am sorry to have worried you."

Kenshin finally started to stir at the commotion. Kenshin looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in days. His eyes were sunken in, and his skin was paler than normal. He moved very slowly and without much purpose, but it was his eyes that were the most haunting. His eyes, which normally held such radiance within them, seemed void of everything. Looking at Kenshin, was looking at an empty shell.

As Kenshin glanced at Kaoru, his eyes widened; life seemed to rush back into them when he noticed that Kaoru was awake. He held her hand gently while he took his other hand and gently stroked her cheek with it. Kenshin was afraid that at any moment he would wake up and she would be gone, far away from him. "Kaoru-dono" he said with such reverence, "Is it really you?"

Kaoru smiled weakly and tried to squeeze his hand, "Yes Kenshin, I am here. I am sorry to have worried you so much."

Kenshin let out a long sigh of relief and a small smile came to his face, "Kaoru-dono, worry would be an understatement, that it would. I thought I lost you, again; that I failed you; again." Then Kenshin hung his head in shame at his failure.

Now it was Kaoru's turn to sigh, "No matter where I go Kenshin, you will never lose me. And I failed you, not the other way around. I was so worried about how I would take care of everyone, that I put myself in danger. I didn't think through my actions and how they could affect the rest of the family. I was just so focused on providing for everyone, and I didn't want to take away your hard earned peace by asking you to do this. I thought I was strong enough to handle this myself, but I guess I was wrong."

Kaoru could feel a brief flash of anger swell up in her husband before he obviously pushed it down. His attitude seemed to currently simmer right above aggravated annoyance. "Yes, Kaoru-dono, it is true that you were wrong in not coming to me for help. You were also very wrong for not realizing your own self worth. What do you think would happened to Kenji and I should anything happened to you? You are not replaceable Kaoru. I will do anything for you Kaoru-dono; and the care of our friends is our burden to bear. It also pained me that I could tell something was bothering you, but you wouldn't trust in me. However, my fault was realizing something was wrong, and not acting sooner to stop you, or to help you; I thought you would come to me first. All this is correct, but you were not weak, that you were not. I was very impressed by what you did."

Tears welled up in Kaoru's eyes as she listened to Kenshin, guilt taking over her heart. "Kenshin, I never wanted to keep my heart from you. I am just independent, and I knew that you have already been through so much in life. I just didn't want to worry you with problems that I thought I could handle. I wanted to care for you, and I thought that meant to shield you as well. I didn't think about how that could also hurt you."

Kenshin found that he could no longer hold in his emotions and exploded. "I get that Kaoru-dono, but even if I am not enough to curb your recklessness, next time think of Kenji. We have a son; we can no longer take on risky jobs such as these. Our lives are no longer our own! Your son is still young Kaoru; he has been very worried and distressed these last few days. He is not old enough to understand what happened to you, but your disappearance and my heartbreak were palpable, even to him."

Finally calming, he all but whispered, "I understand why you did it Kaoru-dono. I am just glad that you are ok, that I am." Kenshin's eyes were now shinning with the joy he felt at his wife's safe return. He couldn't imagine life without her reassuring presence near his side. She was the one that helped guide him out of his despair, and find the answer on how to truly live again.

Kenshin smiled and brushed some of Kaoru's hair from her eyes, "You should rest now Kaoru-dono, that you should. Especially now that you managed to earn 400 yen…, but if you ever try something like that again, so help me!"

Kaoru laughed weakly, but it came out mostly as a cough, "Actually 450 yen. I got 50 yen for a prior mission."

Kenshin let out a sigh, and looked at Kaoru with equal exasperation and amazement, "Rest now Kaoru-dono. We can talk more later."

Kaoru's eyes became heavy, and it felt like she used all her energy in that one simple conversation, "Ok Kenshin. Will you be here when I wake up?"

Kenshin leaned in close and whispered into her ear, "Always!"


	8. Chapter 8

Two days had passed, and Kaoru's recovery was going very well. Although still weak, she could now at least get up and walk around the house for short periods of time, much to the displeasure of Kenshin. He was still very worried for Kaoru, and urged her to rest every chance he had. Kaoru was sure that if she rested any more, she would go insane from boredom. Besides, she was still the mother to a young child with boundless energy.

"Mommy! Mommy!" yelled an overzealous Kenji as he bound into his mother's room. Any sense of the tenuous amount of decorum she had managed to instill in him had been thrown out the window over the last few days. Kenji was still too young to really understand the severity of the situation; however, he was still thrilled to have his mother home. The thick tension in the house had started to disperse over the last few days, and as the tension left, so did Kenji's careful consideration of his mother's condition.

"Oofh!" grunted Kaoru as Kenji jumped onto of her. She smiled warmly as his small arms enveloped her into a warm hug.

"Oops, Sorry Mommy." Wispered Kenji as he started to remove himself from his mother's lap; his face was slightly red from embarasment and flush from running. He was stopped from his quick retreat by his mothers firm arms, still wrapped around him.

"What sort of warrior attacks, then apologizes to the victim? Have you been praticing with your father again?" asked Kaoru, smiling at her son micheviously.

Kenji smiled and noded his head in affirmation. "But Daddy said…"

Kaoru flicked her son delicately on the nose, "Poo Daddy. What he doesn't know won't hurt us. So what do you want to do today?"

It was late afternoon and Kaoru was currently walking towards the dojo in hopes of locating Yahiko before he left for the evening. The day was a rather calm one; Kenji spent most of the morning with her making up for lost time, and Yahiko came by in the early afternoon to train. Kaoru already got an ear-full from Yahiko the other day when he heard that Kaoru was finally awake; she was touched by his apparent concern for her yet aggravated that he felt the need to fully chastise her. When the apprentice felt the need to school the teacher, she knew she was in trouble.

She was currently hoping to convince him to take her on in a quick exercise match before Kenshin returned from the afternoon shopping. Although she was still very weak, she felt like she needed to give her muscles a good stretch to release some of the tension they had built up over the last few days. Kaoru was never one for lying around, and being bed ridden was taking its toll on her mentally and physically.

"Ah! Great, you are still here!" Said an ecstatic Kaoru as she breezed into the dojo and found Yahiko cleaning up from a training session.

Yahiko looked over for a second before returning to what he was doing, "Yeah, just wrapping up. What do you want? You know Kenshin is going to have a fit when he finds you out of bed again."

At the mention of Kenshin, Kaoru sighed. "I am going crazy in that bed, and what Kenshin doesn't know won't hurt either of us. Don't pack everything away just yet Yahiko, you and I are going to have a match."

Yahiko's eyes grew wide, and he gave Kaoru a look of utter bewilderment. "Are you crazy ugly? You're barely well enough to stand and you want to fight me? Did you lose your mind with all that blood? You'll open your wounds again you know?"

Kaoru threw up her hands in surrender; in an effort to calm a furious Yahiko. "Yahiko, look at it in reverse. After all the times you were injured, were you able to just "take it easy" and lay in bed? I am going crazy from boredom and my limbs are growing stiff from inactivity. I am not asking for a war, but just enough of an exercise to break a sweat and get my heart going."

"Whatever, it's your funeral Kaoru! But don't think I am going to go easy just because you're injured! And if you let Kenshin know, you'll be sorry!"

Kaoru laughed at her victory, "Don't think I am going to go easy on you just because you're my stupid apprentice!" Then Kaoru grabbed her bokken, and got in her standard Kamiya Kasshin style stance. "Ready!"

Meanwhile, Kenshin was still battling feelings of guilt. Nightmares flooded his dreams; they left his stomach reeling and stole his breath away. Every night he woke up in a sweat, traumatized at the image of Kaoru lifeless in front of him once again. His panic would be slightly calmed when he could see Kaoru next to him, safe. He hadn't been haunted by these memories for quite some time, but the recent events brought them back full force.

Kenshin pondered on how his life had changed over the last few years. He had finally found peace of spirit in Kaoru's calm reassuring presence. She convinced him that his life was worth something, regardless of his sins. He had found love again; something that he never thought he would deserve. However, a new fear had taken control of him. Kenshin knew what the feeling of true loss was like; it wasn't something he cared to ever live through again. Kenshin truly wondered sometimes if living with the guilt of his sins, or the constant fear of loss was better.

Upon Kenshin's return to the dojo, he was surprised to hear that Yahiko was still training someone, but smiled at his determination. Kenshin marveled at how far the little dojo had come over the last few years. As Yahiko gained strength and notoriety, enrollees flocked to the school in droves. His and Yutarou's skills had all but allowed Kaoru retire to a simple life of wife and mother; something that Kenshin very much appreciated. Kenshin loved the strength and fire that his wife possessed, but he also relished in their happy, simple life now. Their life was now a life without fighting (well mostly). Yahiko really had become a man in every sense of the word, and Kenshin was very proud of him.

He dropped of the supplies in the kitchen, and decided to check if Yahiko would be joining them for dinner today. He really shouldn't have been surprised by what he saw, really, but nevertheless, he was just the same. There was his wife, who barely survived a vicious attack not but two days ago, training hard with Yahiko. How she managed to live as long as she had was a miracle he thought! "Kaoru-dono! Yahiko! What are you doing!"

Kaoru and Yahiko stopped immediately, and instinctively turned towards the speaker. Their eyes widened, and their expressions were not unlike those of children who were caught red-handed.

"Kaoru-dono, this is a bit extreme, even for you! And Yahiko, you should know better!"

Yahiko stuttered for a minute, intimidated by Kenshin's harsh look, "I…I'm…I am sorry Kenshin, but you know how Ugly can be! There really was no stopping her!"

Kaoru walked towards Kenshin and placed a placating hand on his shoulder, "Kenshin, I know you are worried, and I am sorry for that; however, I promise I will take care of myself. I really needed the exercise, and we took it easy. If I don't start to move around soon, then my joints will get stiff, and my recovery may take longer. Megumi should be here tomorrow, so I will follow what she wants when she arrives, but until then, I will do what I think is best. Trust me Kenshin."

Kenshin looked tired when he stared up at her, "I already did, Kaoru-dono, but I almost lost you." And he slowly turned around and went to prepare dinner.

A pain shot through Kaoru's heart as Kenshin walked away from her. "Boy, I really did a number this time didn't I."

Yahiko started to pick up his things and walked over to Kaoru. "Just give him time Kaoru. You didn't see yourself, but it was pretty bad. It really scared him, but even more, I think it re-opened old wounds. It will just take a bit of time to re-heal."

"I guess you're right. Are you staying for dinner? Kenshin is cooking."

"Na, I think I am going to say hi to Tsubame and talk to her about tomorrow. She and Tae can bring a bunch of food over tomorrow to celebrate everyone's return." Then Yahiko turned towards the front gate and started to leave.

"Thanks Yahiko, for everything! I know that I don't say this enough, but I have always been very proud of you. You are a good man, and a great student. Thank you. I will see you tomorrow morning!"

Yahiko waved over his shoulder, the symbol of Evil on his back, "Ya! Ya!" and disappeared into the night.

It was a beautiful evening, and the sun was setting over the western walls of the dojo, leaving vibrant deep hues of red, orange, purple, and blues in the sky. Dinner was quiet, and awkward to say the least, but as always, it was delicious. Afterwards, Kaoru gently got up and moved to the porch in order to enjoy the view; Kenshin was already there. "Mind if I sit next to you?"

Kenshin looked up at Kaoru and smiled, but it seemed hollow, "The seat is always open, that it is."

Kaoru sat down gently next to Kenshin, and the two sat there in comfortable silence for a while. "Kenshin, I am sorry for everything I put you through."

Kenshin continued to stare at the sky, his bangs hiding his face. "I know you are Kaoru-dono; however, contrary to what you may believe, I am not angry at you."

Kaoru was confused now, "Then what is wrong?"

Kenshin grabbed Kaoru's hand firmly in his and looked straight into her eyes, "I am scared Kaoru-dono, simply scared. I am afraid of losing you, and I almost did, again. However, you don't seem to see that the same way I do, and how could you? So rather than taking it easy and protecting yourself, you took a risk by training with Yahiko, and you could have gotten hurt. I know well what it is like to think that I have lost you, and we didn't have a 10th of what we have together now back then. When I thought I lost you, I barely survived; I don't think I could survive it a second time Kaoru-dono. I still have dreams of that horrible event, and wake up in a cold sweat when I come to the same vision, the vision that will be forever burned in my memory. I know something will separate us one day, and I fear that with my whole being. I just can't go through that again, isn't once enough?"

"Beyond all that, you forgot about your own son Kaoru! Kenji's world begins and ends with you; I am and never will be a substitute for his mother. He might not have understood exactly what was going on when you were missing and injured, but he knew fear and felt it too. As parents, it is our job to protect our son's innocence. You almost robbed him of that. The best way to think of others Kaoru, is to think of your own protection.

Sadness for Kenshin's pain filled Kaoru's heart, and she placed her hand gently over his. "Kenshin, I am sorry that my actions have caused you so much pain, and have caused your nightmares to return. I promise that I will never again leave your side Kenshin, remember, I want to stay with you Kenshin. No matter what happens, I will always be with you."

Kenshin could feel the unease his heart was drowning in slowly start to lessen at Kaoru's words. He knew it would take some time, but he was happy that he could take peace in her warm presence; to reassure him that she was, as she said, always here with him. He leaned into Kaoru, and placed a chaste, yet heart filled kiss gently on her lips.

Tears leaked from Kaoru's eyes once their kiss was complete, and she rested her forehead gently against his, allowing herself to look into his eyes.

Kenshin then bolted upright, and placed his hands on his reverse blade sword.

Kaoru startled by Kenshin's actions asked, "What is it Kenshin? What is wrong?"

Kenshin's eyes scanned the horizon, and came to rest upon a single point in a large tree. He held his hand against his sword, ready for an attack, "Someone is here Kaoru-dono. Please get back inside."

Worry crept into Kaoru, a feeling of restlessness took over her, "But Kenshin…"

Kenshin spoke sternly, "Kaoru! You're injured! Please for once, listen and protect yourself! For me! For Kenji!"

Kaoru started to creep back, knowing there was no point in arguing with Kenshin. "Ok Kenshin!"

A figure started to approach from the shadows, slow and deliberate. There was no hesitation in his step, his sword strapped to his side. "My, my, my! When I heard that Kamiya's girl had gotten hitched, I never would have thought it would have been to Battousai the Manslayer! But don't think that he can save you girl!" The man stepped into the clearing, the setting sun behind him, giving him the iridescent glow of a demon; a wicked smirk flashed across his face as his eyes found Kaoru in the background.

Kenshin glared at the man, nervous at his apparent knowledge of them already; he was also confused about what he could possibly want with Kaoru. "Who are you? What do you want?"

The man was still smiling when he began to answer Kenshin, however, his piercing gaze never left Kaoru. She was starting to squirm and become nervous under his glare; she was confused as to why he knew her so well. "My name is Tamake Fukuki, and what I want is simple, Justice."


	9. Chapter 9

Kenshin flinched slightly at that word, the one word that made his blood run cold with the memories it brought with it. He stood ready in his battojutsu stance; waiting for Fukuki to attack, "What does your Justice have to do with us? I don't believe I know you."

"Oh, My justice has nothing to do with you Battousi; I know, that must come as quite a surprise to you. Hahaha!" Fukuki then took his hand and pointed it directly at Kaoru, "It has everything to do with her!"

Kenshin turned his head towards Kaoru; she could understand the question he was silently asking and she shook her head no in response. "What do you mean? I don't know you? Leave my property!"

Fukuki's dark menacing eyes bore into Kaoru and made her skin crawl. After Kenshin heard Fukuki's declaration, he moved slightly to block Kaoru from his sight. The man let out a loud laugh before continuing, "Like I said, I simply want revenge. I have nothing against you personally, but you have the unfortunate luck of being the daughter of the late Koshijiro Kamiya."

Kaoru couldn't understand how someone such as this man could have had anything to do with her father, and she couldn't understand how anything her father had done would warrant revenge upon her family. "I can see in your eyes that you did not know your father as well as you thought you did little girl!"

Kaoru's anger flashed across her face, and she took a step forward, "I knew my father well! He was a great man, and loved by all. His style of swordsman ship was a light of hope for those around him, and taught people there was a better way to live!"

Kenshin never took his eyes off his opponent, but was becoming worried of Kaoru's potential reaction if this man continued to goad her like this, "Kaoru-dono! I cannot protect you if you become too involved."

The wicked man could only laugh loudly at Kaoru's naivety and innocence. "You're an entertaining girl. I am going to love having your around!"

Kenshin visibly flinched at Fukuki's last statement; it was not missed by Kaoru.

"Your father's sword was a ray of light? It taught a better way to live? Ha! The sword of the Kamiya Devil, the manslayer, was nothing but death and only created a sea of blood."

Kenshin and Kaoru were confused and unease started to creep over Kaoru; she wasn't sure what this man was talking about, but she was sure she wouldn't like it.

"Your "great" father was nothing but a murderer, a manslayer. His power was second to only your husband here! And the power of his sword was used as nothing but a tool that brought death upon his enemies."

Kaoru screamed out collapsing onto the ground, holding her hands on her ears, tears starting to form in her eyes, "You're lying! My father's style of swordsmanship was used to protect others; it could never be used that way! He was a great man; I will not allow you to defile his name like that!" she cried as she rose in a battle stance.

"Kaoru-dono, Please stay back. I do not know if what this man says is the truth or not, but getting yourself killed will not answer any of your questions. Please stay back and allow me to protect you Kaoru-dono."

"But Kenshin!" said Kaoru, as she became increasingly frustrated.

"No! You are still injured Kaoru-dono. Let me defend the honor of your father, of my father-in-law, for you." Kenshin was firm in his tone, and Kaoru could tell there was no arguing with him, not when he was like this. His eyes were fixed on his opponent, they narrowed as his calm purple slowly morphed into a harder gold. He would not allow this man to continue to upset and threaten Kaoru, or defile the name of her father for much longer.

Fukuki was no longer smiling, anger instead was painted on his face, "Your naivety will not save you from the truth girl! I fought against him during the SouthWest war, and there wasn't a single solider that did not know of the Kamiya Devil. The stories of Battousi the Manslayer inspired the commanders of our enemies to use your father's power in a similar manner. His skills were unmatched, and they used him as protection for the forces, and more importantly as protection for the elite commanders. Your father slaughtered countless numbers of my friends and comrades, and the irony that he developed a style whose motto was, "The Sword which protects life" was not lost on me. He stole the lives of those most precious to me, and I swore I would have my revenge on him. His death was bittersweet for me. Although he was dead, it was not the power of man that defeated him, but a platoon of cannons created specifically for him. I was never able to defeat him, or take back our honor. I thought that chance was forever lost. You see, your father was a very careful man, and never spoke of his past to anyone. No one knew where he was truly from, or that he had any children. He protected you well, that is until you allowed my men to live, the men you simply knocked off the train. That foolish mistake on your part allowed them to report to me of a gentleman from Tokyo, who used similar techniques of your father. Imagine my surprise when I discovered from locals that the gentleman was actually Kamiya's daughter! Your father might be dead little girl, but I can still have my revenge on him, buy taking it out on that which was most precious to him!"

"That is enough. I will not let you harm Kaoru-dono in any way. Even if what you say is true, then Kamiya-Sama was just another solider fighting for what he believed in. You should not hold his actions against him, because you fought for the same reasons. Soldiers should not seek revenge for what takes place on the battlefield. If you do, it will be you who is the true murderer."

Fukuki charged Kenshin, finally releasing his building rage, "Don't you dare compare me to the likes of him!"

"I would never compare the likes of you to Kaoru-dono's honored father. You may have both been solders at one time, but you are nothing alike."

Their great swords clashed and rang out as Kenshin drew his sword to block Fukuki's fierce attack. As their swords parted, Kenshin jumped into the air, and attacked, "Ryu-Tsui-Sen!" but without the power of his god like speed, his attack was easily missed. Kenshin pivoted on his foot quickly and moved straight into his next attack, "Ryu-So-Sen." and then finished with "Ryu-Sho-Sen!"

Kenshin backed away a few steps in a guarded stance, and waited for the dust to clear; Kaoru watched anxiously from the sidelines. "Ha Ha Ha! Such wonderful attacks Battousi, but I am afraid to say it had no bite! It seems that you have lost most of your strength."

Kaoru nervously placed her fist over her heart, " _Kenshin may still be able to go through the motions of his moves, but without his god like speed there is no real power behind them!"_

"While it is true that the strength of my attacks have been weakened, I am still strong enough to stop you! Do-Ryu-Sen" Kenshin used the opening that the Do-Ryu-Sen created to attack Fukuki from the left hand side.

"To slow Battousi! I already told you, you have no bite, and no speed!" Before Kenshin could fully move out of the way, Fukuki's sword slashed across Kenshin's chest. As he doubled over, he braced himself with his sword, and leaned on it for support. He could hear Kaoru behind him, "Kenshin!" as she began running to his side. "Don't Kaoru-dono! Stay back!"

"But Kenshin!"

"I'm ok Kaoru-dono. You must stay back where I know you're safe!" Kenshin stood up and took his sword in his fighting stance once again. "I do not care what the difference may or may not be between us; I will not let you lay a finger on Kaoru-dono. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" As he strengthened his resolve, the leaves swirled and broke around him. Kaoru could feel the electricity hum in the air; the entire atmosphere tensed.

Fukuki laughed at the sight in front of him, "I give you this boy, at least you haven't lost your resolve, but resolve won't be enough to win this fight alone!"

And the two continued their great battle, attacking, blocking, and dodging as if it were nothing but an elaborate dance; a dance with deadly consequences. As the minutes wore on, it became apparent to Kaoru that Kenshin was being overwhelmed; every injury his body took was like a wound to her heart.

Sweat and blood rolled down Kenshin's body, his breath coming out in loud, short huffs. His face was flush with exertion; his eye sight was becoming fuzzy. Kenshin knew that his body wouldn't hold out much longer; he had two wounds on his chest, one on his right side, a deep wound to his back, and shallow wounds on both legs. Fukuki however, did not have even a scratch; he barley looked labored. Kenshin knew that if he had any hope of defeating him, he had to end it with his next attack.

Kenshin sheathed his sword, and moved himself into position for his ultimate attack; Fukuki got into a guard stance, wary. Kenshin charged forward, "Ama Kakeru no Ryu Hirameki!"

Fukuki stood his ground, and waited for Kenshin to come to him. With one swift powerful motion he cleaved Kenshin's sword in two and rammed his blade straight through Kenshin's side. As Fukuki drew his sword back and replaced it back in his sheeth, Kenshin toppled to the ground.

"NOOOOOO! Kenshin!" Kaoru grabbed her bokken and rushed to her beloved's side, prepared to defend him at any cost. She wouldn't let him die here, like this, for her family's sins.

Kenshin struggled to maintain consciousness, and slowly started to stand back up, heaving and bleeding together. "I cannot lose! (huf) I will not lose (pant) I WILL PROTECT KAORU!"

Kaoru looked on at the pitiful sight of her beloved wanderer, and knew she had to put a stop to this. If Kenshin continued any more, he really would die, and that would be far more painful than anything this man could do to her alone. Kaoru's mind was made up before the thought even finished in her head. She raised her bokken, and brought it down swiftly, and with great force!

"Kaoru-dono….?" And then Kenshin collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

"Tamake-san, give me just one moment, and I promise I will leave with you willingly. I will not fight, or object to anything, just give me this one moment."

"Feh, do whatever you want wench. He'll be dead soon anyway!" and then he walked to the dojo's entrance gate.

Kaoru placed Kenshin's head gently in her lap, and stroked his hair, her tears gently falling onto his face. She tore strips of her Kimono quickly in order to wrap his most serious wounds. " _This won't do much, but it will at least help him to hold on until help arrives."_ "Kenshin, I am sorry, so sorry my dear Kenshin. But you would have fought until he killed you, and I couldn't bear the thought of that. I don't know what is in store for me from this point on, but please take care of Kenji, and please take care of yourself. Promise to be strong for me and the others, and I will promise to remain strong for you. Remember Kenshin, no matter what, I am with you always. Our hearts are always one." Then Kaoru gently placed a kiss on his lips. Her tiny hands went up to her Indigo blue ribbon, and with one swift pull, her hair tumbled down in long, flowing waves. She folded the ribbon neatly, and placed it in Kenshin's hand by his side. With one final goodbye, Kaoru stood, and walked into the moonlight night, following her captor.

As the sun started to break over the horizon of Tokyo, Yahiko decided to get an early start to his day. He knew that Yutarou and Megumi were due in early this morning and figured that he should head over to the Dojo early; that way he could spend some time visiting with everyone before he had to begin training. He figured with Megumi there, at least the chances of Kaoru goading him into another training session was less likely.

As Yahiko walked down the familiar, dusty Tokyo streets, his mind was lost in thought, oblivious to the world around him; this was a bad combination for a swordsman, and even worse when Yutarou was in town. "Meh!" rang out as the bokken was brought down swiftly onto Yahiko's head! "Ha! I am gone for two weeks and your skills have become so lazy that you allow a cheap shot like that! I am going to be the Kamiya Kasshin's assistant master in no time!"

Yahiko growled, rubbing his head, and then turned to face Yutarou, his hand going to his reverse blade sword. "Damn you Yutarou, that was a cheap and you know it! If I wasn't so occupied with thinking and worrying so much, you wouldn't have gotten me in a million years!"

Yutarou laughed, "You…thinking? Ya right! Excuses…excuses! A warrior is always ready! It isn't my fault you're a flake!"

Yahiko's grip on his sword became tighter, and he began to draw it when he saw a long, black haired figure step between then, smacking both with one quick motion. "Quit it both of you, you are being quite childish! We are supposed to be heading to the dojo, not bickering like a group of school children!"

Yahiko's eyes widened as he recognized the beauty in front of him. "Megumi! Welcome back! We should probably get you to the dojo quickly anyway. I am sure Kenshin wants you to check Kaoru." he said as he rubbed the back of his head, smiling like an idiot.

Slight worry shone on Megumi and Yutarou's faces. Yutarou was the first to speak up, "What do you mean! Didn't you say you were worrying? What happened to Kaoru?"

"Hold your horses Yutarou! It's a long story, and I will get you up to speed on our way back to the Dojo. It was serious, but she is pretty much out of the woods now." And so as the three of them made their way to the Kamiya dojo Yahiko told them everything he knew about Kaoru's little stunt, her injuries, and the reason behind them.

"That stupid little girl! I can't believe she was stupid enough to pull a stunt like that. I can't believe she didn't think about how that would make Ken-san feel!" spoke an astounded Megumi.

"No Megumi, that is the problem. Kaoru was thinking too much about Kenshin and everyone else. So much by the sounds of it, she was blinded. If Kaoru has one major flaw, it is her severe kindness and need to help others." said Yutarou.

Yahiko started to open the dojo gate as he completed the conversation, "Ya, I mean look at most of us, we don't exactly have stellar backgrounds, but here we are anyway!"

Before anyone could respond, their faces turned white and pale, and they rushed into the dojo's courtyard screaming "Kenshin!" "Ken-san!" Before their eyes was Kenshin laying on the courtyard ground. Blood was splattered all around the yard, making it look more like a slaughterhouse than a dojo. Kenshin himself was covered in blood, and very pale.

The three of them arrived beside Kenshin at the same time, Megumi pushing the other two in order to tend to Kenshin. "Move away! I need room to work you two! Oh God, Ken-san! What happened to you?"

Megumi began to push Kenshin's shirt aside in order to get a better look at his wounds, when a curious expression crossed her face, "What is this? Someone already wrapped some of his wounds?"

Yahiko's face paled as his mind registered whose fabric that was, and then his eyes caught a hint of blue in the corner. He focused his gaze on Kenshin's hand, and felt his breath catch in his throat when he recognized it. "Please no!" Yahiko whispered under his breath. "Where is Kaoru? She would never leave Kenshin here like this!" Yahiko could see the fear creep into Megumi and Yutarou's eyes as all three of their imaginations ran wild.

Megumi being the most experienced in emergency situations took the lead, "Yutarou, check the dojo for Kaoru and Kenji! I just came from the hospital, so I know she isn't there. Yahiko, help me get Kenshin into a clean room so I can work on these wounds."

Yutarou took off running through the dojo, calling out for Kaoru and Kenji while Megumi and Yahiko placed Kenshin in his room. Yahiko helped Megumi remove Kenshin's shirt and remove the old bandages while she got her medicines and stitches prepared. As Megumi began quietly and diligently working on Kenshin's wounds, a grim Yutarou walked quietly in. Megumi and Yahiko didn't hold much hope after looking on his face.

"Kenji is still sleeping in his room, but I don't see Kaoru anywhere. She's gone."


	10. Chapter 10

Darkness was everywhere; Kenshin felt like he was floating within a void. He tried to remember where he was, how he got here, and what happened? Nothing was returned; it seemed like his mind was as vacant as the nothingness that surrounded him. As he pushed his senses outward, things slowly started to come back to him. He could hear the slow steady rhythm of the ocean beating against the shore, a small group's calm talking, and someone's heart-wrenching crying further off. As the rest of his senses started to return, he could feel soft, warm sand beneath his feet; he could feel the warm sun beating down on his shoulders. He slowly opened his eyes; a bright blinding white light accosted his face. As hazy pictures finally come into focus, he was surprised by the vision that stood before him.

Kenshin was back on the beach where his battle with Enishi took place. The scene looked more like a dream than a real world, but Kenshin was still surprised that he was here; reliving this day.

He could see himself waking past Enishi, and placing his sword back in his sheath. He heard the one simple question uttered from his past form's mouth, "Are you hurt?" He could remember the feeling of the anticipation and slight fear he was holding until she answered with a simple, "No."

He remembered that the relief was so instantaneous that he lost his footing and fell into Kaoru's arms. He came here to save and return Kaoru, but in an ironic twist, she saved him in more ways than one.

"Thank you Kenshin, but this time, let me help you." And she smiled at him warmly as she helped him back up again.

The scenery became hazy as the dream shifted slowly, like scenes in a movie. Kenshin was now laying down quietly at home in the dojo sleeping, with Kaoru quietly keeping watch over him. It appeared as if the sun was recently rising in the east, and to Kenshin's surprise, Kaoru appeared to be exhausted.

He turned his head as he heard the shoji screen being quietly slid to the side as Megumi walked in. In her hands was a tray with a bowl of rice and fish, and two bowls of miso soup. She handed Kaoru the bowl of rice and one of the bowls of soup before sitting down next to Kenshin to check on his wounds. "Kaoru, you really should try to get more rest. Just think about what Ken-san would say if he saw you like this."

Kaoru smiled tiredly, "It is ok Megumi. I feel like Kenshin needs me here more than I need rest. He has been having nightmares, and he seems to be soothed when I am close by. He has done so much for me, if I can let him rest easier by my presence, than that is the least I can do. I feel useless at the moment. Kenshin is once again injured because I couldn't protect myself; because he once again had to rescue me. I can't fight with him like Sano, I can't heal him like you. But I can stay by his side no matter what, so that is what I do."

The two sat quietly for a few more minutes giving themselves and Kenshin time to ponder over those words. Kaoru always felt useless compared to her other friends; that isn't something that Kenshin thought that he had ever been able to rid herself of. Kaoru didn't' see what Kenshin and her friends saw. She didn't see how her kind heart gave them all a home and a family. She didn't see her strength on the battlefield the way he did. Kenshin knew that she was capable of defending herself, but it was his fear of losing her that made him keep her out of battle. She didn't see how her presence in his life gave him a reason to live, seek forgiveness, and finally find his answer; she more than any other thing or person calmed his heart.

Just then he could hear his sleeping self moaning quietly, "No. Kaoru…Kaoru." And Kenshin saw himself starting to thrash weakly in his bed. Kaoru took her hand and gently placed it over his heart, "It is ok Kenshin, I am here. I will always be here Kenshin." With her soothing promises Kenshin started to calm down again, but worry was still etched on Kaoru's face.

"Megumi, tell me what happened while I was away; what everyone else seems to be avoiding. I understand I was gone, but way is Kenshin so much more deeply troubled than I have seen him before? Why won't Sano and Yahiko take their eyes off me? Why are Kenshin's battle wounds from over a month ago still sore and barely healed? What is going on?" Kaoru kept her eyes on Kenshin as she sounded off the strong of worry filled questions.

"Kaoru, that isn't" but Megumi didn't have the chance to finish when Kaoru squared her eyes on the doctor and cut her off sternly."

"Don't tell me it isn't you place Megumi! Kenshin is suffering here and I don't know why, and if I don't know why then how can I help! What happened to him?"

Megumi's face fell as the memories of those dark days consumed her, the days when they lost 3 valued friends with the price of one sword. She turned her haunted eyes to Kaoru, who gasped at the sight. "Kaoru, I will only say this. Enishi played a horrible trick and it nearly cost us everything, but some more than others. Kenshin's pain likely stems from that, so you will have to talk to him about it when he wakes."

"How much longer do you think that will take? Ever since we returned to the Dojo two days ago he has been asleep. I am worried Megumi."

Megumi reached to Kaoru to hold her hand in comfort, "I know Kaoru-san. Ken-san heals faster than anyone I know. I am sure he will wake soon." After that, Megumi gathered her supplies and left the room.

Kaoru got up and went over to the wash basin where she picked up a fresh towel. She rinsed the towel in the water and rung it out. Walking gingerly back over to Kenshin, she washed his forehead with the towel gently. Ethereal Kenshin continued to stare from the side watching Kaoru's gentle care for him.

Kaoru watched on diligently for a time longer until the sun was setting in the west. Kenshin finally started to stir slightly, and it appeared as if consciousness may be slowly slipping back to him. "Kenshin, are you awake now Kenshin?" asked Kaoru's voice softly and sweetly.

Kenshin's eyes fluttered and slowly opened and he gazed around the room slowly until his eyes fell upon Kaoru. "Kaoru-dono," he said simply with a touch of reverence. He took time to take in her image fully and was troubled by what he saw. Her hair was oily, and her pony tail clung to her back. He eyes were sunken in and shadowed; she looked beyond exhausted. He wondered if she was ill. "Kaoru-dono, are you ok?"

Kaoru laughed; it was a pure and exhilarating laugh. Those simple words voiced by Kenshin told her that he was alright, and the irony of what he asked her while in his condition did not escape her. "Kenshin, you are lying in bed, with sword wounds and a bullet hole in you. You have been asleep for two days recovering from wounds both new and old, which by the way still haven't recovered. You have had a constant stream of nightmares, but here you lay, asking me if I am ok?"

Ethereal Kenshin who was watching the scene unfold before him laughed slightly at the sight. " _I remember this day. Kaoru never changes."_

"Oro?" Kenshin looked at Kaoru bewildered.

"Yes Kenshin I am ok. I have been worried for you and that is all. I am sorry if it has taken its toll on me and caused you worry."

Kenshin smiled at her weekly, "That is ok Kaoru-dono, that it is. I was simply worried for you." As he finished, he reached over and grabbed her hand gently.

Kaoru waited a few minutes, enjoying their peaceful moment before she dared to broach the subject she knew needed to be voiced. "Kenshin, can I ask you a question?'

Kenshin continued to smile at Kaoru, reveling in the joy that she was safe, at home, and that the danger was behind them at last. "Ok course Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru looked at her hands for a moment before she gathered the inner strength to broach the subject, "Kenshin, what happened while I was gone? Why are your old wounds still so fresh? Why do your nightmares, which are so hunting, revolve around me? Why will our friends not remove their eyes from me as if I might disappear? What happened while I was gone Kenshin?"

Ethereal Kenshin watched on from the corner of the room. He watched as his eyes grew slightly pained, and he withdrew within himself. He remembered he was trying to hide his pain from Kaoru, but she had become too good at reading him. "Don't pull away from me Kenshin. You don't have to tell me right now; I was just curious."

The two continued to sit in silence for a moment more before Kenshin decided to speak, his voice was so quiet Kaoru almost didn't hear him, "We lost you Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru reached out and placed a gentle hand on Kenshin's shoulder for comfort. "I know Kenshin, and I am sorry that I allowed that to happen."

"NO!" Kenshin said with a stronger force and anger than Kaoru was used to hearing from the kind wanderer. "No, Kaoru-dono. Don't say that. It was I who failed you, who failed everyone. We thought we lost you Kaoru-dono." Kenshin turned his face from her as tears threatened to fall from his face at the memory. "Enishi, Enishi had a replica made; it looked like you in every way. By the time we got to the dojo, we thought it was too late. There you were, with a cross shaped scar on your cheek and a… and Enishi's…Enishi's sword though your chest." Kenshin's haunted eyes turned and pierced Kaoru's, and so much emotion was conveyed. "Kaoru, your friends buried you and for more than a week we thought you to be dead. I couldn't live with the thought that I failed another, that I failed you; so I turned my back on everyone and resigned myself to the village of the fallen. There I resigned myself to merely exist until I died and was brought to hell like I deserved. I knew from my sins that I would never earn a place in the same eternity with your or Tomoe. I lost all hope and will to live; in doing this I failed our friends too."

"Kaoru-dono, they all learned something valuable then. For so long everyone thought that I was the corner stone that held everyone together; I have always known that it is you. It was you who invited us into your home, and your love that holds us together. Without that Kaoru-dono, we fell apart."

Kaoru stared speechless for a moment, trying to process what was being told to her, and trying to finally understand the pain that surrounded her friends like a thick blanket. "So the nightmares.."

"Yes Kaoru-dono, the nightmares are about that day; they are about that loss. Even though I now know that you are ok, my mind is having a hard time letting go."

"Then how did you.."

"Know where to find you? Aioshi and Misao came to Tokyo at your request; however they found out that they were too late. Yahiko, not being awake until after everything happened found it hard to accept. Aioshi was the one who put the pieces together and Saito was the one who found out where you were."

"Is that when you saved Yahiko?"

"You heard about that?" Asked Kenshin?

"Only the basics of the incident, when I asked about his injuries."

"Yes, Tsubame found me and begged me to save him. It was her plea for help that awoke me from my living sleep. As long as I lived, I couldn't fail one more person who required my help."

Kaoru looked at Kenshin, deep compassion emanating out of her expression. "Kenshin, you could never fail any of us. After everything that you have seen and lost in your life, I don't think anyone can fault you for wanting a break. The important part is that you got up Kenshin. "

A small smile finally appeared on Kenshin's face; the two laid there for some time in companionable silence, both reflecting. After some time, Kenshin stared up at the ceiling as if he were peering into the heavens themselves. "Kaoru, I would like to go pay my respects to Tomoe's grave. I have finally found my path to forgiveness; it is time to say goodbye to the past and move forward. Would you accompany me Kaoru-dono?"

"Yes Kenshin. I would also like to offer her my thanks."

Then, just like before, the scene shifted and swirled once again revealing a starry night. Kenshin could see himself pacing nervously in the Dojo courtyard. Lines of stress marred his face; his grip on the hilt of his sword was tight.

"Kaoru-dono should have been home by now. It is not like her to be this late."

Ethereal Kenshin remembered this night well and anger boiled up inside of him at the memory. He turned his face towards the street as he heard a group of men running buy. "Fight, there is a fight down the road! Some crazy lady is involved!"

Kenshin visibly whitened as he ran out of the dojo. He violently pushed back the flashbacks, memories from more violent times. Fear gripped him as he imagined what sort of scene he would be met with when he located the wayward Kaoru. What he saw, was not what he expected.

Kaoru was standing triumphantly in the middle of three battered, bruised men. A large crowd of onlookers surrounded her and the prone men; gaining some weird pleasure out of the supposed hilarity of the fight. Other than the coating of dirt and sweat that covered her, nothing appeared to be injured or out of place.

Kaoru calmly walked over to the only man that remained conscious, and towered above him in her scary way. Outwardly, everything appeared normal. She was smiling slightly and talking calmly; to any other person it would appear as though she was talking to a friend. Kenshin though noted how her bokken was poised precariously on her shoulder, the hard set of her eyes, and the slight strain to her voice.

"I thank you Shegure for your kind advances; however, as I said before, I must decline. You see, although I may have a male boarder under my roof currently, and previously housed multiple house guests, that does not mean that I am, "Open for business" as you so put it. If you have any future requests for company, I highly suggest you visit the red light district. I am sure you will find it much less painful."

With a huff, and a poised, albeit forceful turn, Kaoru turned around and began to walk through the parting crowd towards home. A look of surprise painted her face when she spotted the mop of red hair that belonged to the said border, followed by a tired sigh. She should have known that he would come looking for her.

Kenshin was slightly surprised when Kaoru walked straight past him without a word. Her direction indicated that she was heading home; maybe she simply didn't want to talk in public. When they reached the courtyard of the dojo, and Kaoru still showed no inclination to explain the situation he witnessed outside, Kenshin gently grabbed her elbow. "Kaoru?"

"I am tired Kenshin, I simply want to go to bed." Kaoru uttered softly without turning around towards him.

"Kaoru."

Really, it was amazing how much force one small, unimposing man could put in one simple word. As much as she wanted to ignore him, Kaoru could hear the slight worry and forceful demand of that one word. She knew she wasn't getting out of this talk. She considered remaining defiant, holding out until the very end; however, she already knew, there really just wasn't any winning against the little man.

Sigh. "At least let me get us some tea first Kenshin."

A few moments later, the couple was sitting on the porch, tea cups in hand. The atmosphere buzzed with the slight tension rolling off of Kenshin, trying to calmly wait for Kaoru's explanation. Neither looked at the other, both content at the moment to stare into the stars.

"Well I suppose that you pieced together what happened from what you heard."

The atmosphere turned dark as Kenshin's anger flared. The fact that anyone would do such a thing, especially to his Kaoru, made his insides boil. His face turned to her and he started his inquisition. "I believe so, Kaoru…Why? How?"

"Why does anyone try such things Kenshin? And you obviously saw the how. They tried to ambush me on my way home from training."

"You talk about it like it is nothing Kaoru. Do you not realize what could have happened?"

Kaoru's eyes turned dark and her expression fierce and her head turned to face him. He could see the challenge in her gaze. "Of course I realize what could have happened Kenshin. I am not some helpless woman who can easily be victimized. They are not the first to overestimate their abilities while underestimating mine!"

At Kenshin's sharp intake of breath, Kaoru realized her error, she had never told Kenshin of the previous attacks. When her father was alive, no one dared to cross him; however, ever since his death, and the invasion of her male boarders, things had changed. Kaoru's reputation had never been stellar around town, due to her choice of occupation over "normal" feminine activities. Allowing young men, especially of questionable background, to live with her, had not helped things.

"Explain now." Kenshin's tone brokered no arguments.

Kaoru's eyes took on a more gentle tone, knowing that the explanation would not help to assuage his guilt. "Kenshin, I am a young woman, with no family, practices kendo, unmarried, and living with young male boarders. I also own a decent amount of land. There are many men out there who love to pray on my poor reputation while trying to steal what is precious to me."

Kenshin looked aghast as he processed this information. Kaoru's wonderful reputation was ruined by her kind heart, because she helped him. Even worse, his presence has caused men to form the wrong impression of her, to prey on her. It was Enishi all over again.

"Don't Kenshin. This isn't your fault. I chose to let you, Yahiko, Sano, Megumi, everyone stay here of my own free will. What use do I have for a reputation? Their dark whispers bring me no sadness, and their false welcomes bring me no happiness. I told you, I want to stay with you Kenshin, that is happiness."

"But Kaoru-dono, you don't deserve this!"

Kaoru gently shook her head. "Kenshin, no one deserves it."

Kenshin gently grasped Kaoru's hand, and although his tone held a darker undercurrent, it was coated with a hint of desperation and affection. "No Kaoru-dono. I will fix this. I will not lose you again, to anyone, but least of all to those men."

Kaoru laughed, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze in return before standing up again. Brushing herself clean of any dust, she turned to Kenshin with a smile on her face. "I thank you; however, it will be all right. I am not a damsel that needs a protector, I just need you. No matter what, you will never "lose" me Kenshin."

And then the scene faded one more time, much like a curtain being pulled on a play. When the new act started, Kenshin was confused, momentarily forgetting the event that was unfolding before him.

In the open grounds of the dojo stood a bloody Kenshin struggling to maintain consciousness, slowly trying to stand up, heaving and bleeding together. "I cannot lose! (huf) I will not lose! (pant) I WILL PROTECT KAORU!"

He became further confused when he saw Kaoru, who he was clearly trying to protect, silently move up behind him and attack him with her bohken.

"Kaoru-dono….?" And then Kenshin watched as he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

"Tamake-san, give me just one moment, and I promise I will leave with you willingly. I will not fight, or object to anything, just give me this one moment."

"Feh, do whatever you want wench. He'll be dead soon anyway!" and then he walked to the dojo's entrance gate.

Fear and apprehension surrounded ethereal Kenshin as memories of the fight started coming back to him. Everything was still fuzzy; he couldn't place a time or reason specifically. He could remember the fear, the drive to protect his family from the madman before him. He remembered Kaoru's sudden attack, but never understood the reason. What happened?

He watched the scene play out in front of him, surreal that it was in fact his own life. Kaoru placed Kenshin's head gently in her lap; she stroked his hair, her tears gently falling onto his face. She tore strips of her Kimono quickly in order to wrap his most serious wounds. "Kenshin, I am sorry, so sorry my dear Kenshin. But you would have fought until he killed you, and I couldn't bear the thought of that. I don't know what is in store for me from this point on, but please take care of Kenji, and please take care of yourself. Promise to be strong for me and the others, and I will promise to remain strong for you. Remember Kenshin, no matter what, I am with you always. Our hearts are always one." Then Kaoru gently placed a kiss on his lips. Her tiny hands went up to her Indigo blue ribbon, and with one swift pull, her hair tumbled down in long, flowing waves. She folded the ribbon neatly, and placed it in Kenshin's hand by his side. With one final goodbye, Kaoru stood, and walked into the moon-lit night, following her captor.

Ethereal Kenshin watched on in horror, and raced forward to stop his crazy wife. "NO KAORU-DONO!" He felt helpless as he realized that she could probably not hear him. He reached out to grab her arm and restrain her; however, he passed through her like a shadow.

The final scene faded to black and he witnessed his wife fade into the darkness with the monster, Kenshin reaching and screaming out for his lost wife, "KAORU!"


	11. Chapter 11

"KAORU!" screamed Kenshin as his body shot upwards from the futon. He gasped as he struggled to breathe; his hands instinctually wrapped around his sides. He continued to breathe in and out deeply, slowly catching his breath. His body shook slightly from the strain, and a thin bead of perspiration formed along his brow. As he sat there trying to collect his thoughts, a voice not heard in quite some time shot through the room like a gun, "I DON'T CARE IF I WAKE HIM UP! KAORU HAS BEEN MISSING FOR 4 DAYS, AND THAT BUM IS STILL SLEEPING!"

On the other side of the dojo, an imposing ruffian with scraggly brown hair, a face full of stubble, and his signature white clothes tried to tower over Megumi. His annoyance and anger were quite visible, and with a lack of an available outlet, she became the unfortunate target. "What is it with that woman and being kidnapped? 6 years and nothing has changed!"

Megumi, never being one to be pushed around, stood her ground; her glare was enough to make even Sanosuke reconsider his current position. "Look here you loud mouthed rooster, you are not helping! If you don't quiet down, Kenshin will wake up!"

"GOOD! He might have found her already if he hadn't spent the last 4 days lounging around! Why the hell does he keep letting every guy around run off with his woman anyway?"

"Sanosuke, don't go there!" growled Megumi. "We are all worried about her."

"Obviously some of us more than others!"

"Slap!" The resounding crack from Megumi's hand slamming across Sanosuke's face reverberated through the room. "Now look here mister, you haven't been here. For 6 years you haven't been here! So don't you dare judge us. Think straight for once you rooster head! If we wake Kenshin up prematurely, and his body isn't properly healed, then we will just end up delaying our ability to form a real rescue party!"

Sanosuke's fists clenched hard, the veins in his neck pulsing from his clenched jaw line, his eyes were closed. " You're right. I was gone, and nothing will change that, but I left Jo-chan in his care. Kenshin was supposed to protect her, she is his wife for God's sake! Jo-chan is the best of us all, we all know that. She might as well be my baby sister, but now, for all we know, she could be …"

BANG!

Megumi visibly jumped at the noise; she and Sanosuke looked apprehensively in the direction it came from. They could feel the charged atmosphere from where they stood; it was definitely coming from Kenshin's direction.

Megumi shot Sanosuke one final glare, and then marched towards Kenshin's room with the rooster close behind. She knocked on the shoji, ever mindful of decorum now that Kenshin was most likely awake. "Ken-san. Are you awake? Is everything ok in there?" when no reply was received, slowly the shoji screen was slid to the side, revealing a very disturbing image.

In the center of the room, where Kenshin SHOULD have been sleeping, was a demon; a fiery haired devil with menacing golden eyes. It breathed in slowly and deeply, almost like it was actually trying to control itself to no avail. When it exhaled, Megumi could almost visualize the fire that must be coming from its mouth. A large fist sized crater was left in the center of the floor; no doubt it was the source of the noise a moment ago. This was no Kenshin, nor was this the Battousai, this was a true monster.

"Is it true?" the demon all but growled out, its voice deep, gravely, and clearly dangerous.

Megumi and Sanosuke were too stunned to answer. The sheer power of the demon took Megumi's breath away; she wanted to run from that room.

"Is it true?" it uttered again, slower, darker, and more deliberate than the first time. Megumi could feel the threat behind those words, the fate that would soon be realized should she decide not to answer. However, she just couldn't bring herself to speak. Megumi considered herself a strong woman, but this was otherworldly.

A large shadow stepped in front of Megumi, shielding her from the ire of the monster. She took a deep stuttering breath as her body felt the immediate relief.

"Of course it's true." Responded a surprisingly calm Sanosuke. Megumi wondered how he could be so calm in the presence of that thing. She knew he was stupid, and strong, but surely he realized the true terror of that being?

"And Kenji?" it inquired even darker and more menacing?

"Safe," clipped Sano.

Then, as suddenly as the monster materialized, it disappeared; in its wake was left a crying, broken child. There, in the middle of the room, sat Kenshin quietly weeping. You would think that he had been told that she were dead; then again, for all we knew, she already was.

Sano was disgusted at the site, and frustrated at the inaction. He marched over to the lump of crying flesh, raised his fist, and slugged Kenshin. "Wake up Kenshin! What use is crying? What good is any of this doing Jo-chan? If you want your wife back so bad, then get up ya lazy ass!"

Sano could tell that his words had taken root in his friend. Kenshin's tears dried up, his resolve solidified, and he once again took hold of his sword.

As Kenshin prepared himself to stand, Megumi decided that it was time for the voice of reason to step in. "Ken-san, I applaud you for regaining your wits; however, moving right now is not wise. You are still injured, severely; it is a miracle that you were alive at all when we found you. I am sure that I don't need to tell you the extent of your own injuries."

"Megumi-dono, now is not the time."

"Yes! Now is exactly the time Ken-san! As I was telling a stupid rooster previously, you rushing head first into any battle will not end well. What good will finding Kaoru be if you succumb from your injuries? You will let your body heal first!"

"Have you even found any sign of Kaoru yet?" retorted a clipped Kenshin.

"Not yet, but we have people looking." Said Megumi solemnly. "When I arrived 4 days ago, we could only find you in the dojo. Your wounds were already dressed from what I would guess was Kaoru's kimono, and her ribbon was in your hand." Megumi took the bloody rags from her robes and placed them in Kenshin's hands. "What happened Kenshin?

Kenshin gripped the stands of fabric, the now bloody reminders of his wife's plight, and took a moment in pensive thought.

"It all happened quickly; without warning." Kenshin mumbled as he continued to provide the horrid details of that nightmarish evening. As the story drew on, his posture became more tense; the air became thick with anger. "I'm not sure what happened at the end. Kaoru struck me over the head; when I woke up, I was here and she was not."

Megumi shook her head solemnly. She didn't know what to say; she didn't know what to think. Why did these things keep happening to them?

"But that makes no sense, why would Jo-chan do that? She wouldn't attack Kenshin!" barked a frustrated Sano. This whole situation was getting worse and more convoluted by the minute.

"I Don't Know Sano! That is what happened." sighed a tired Kenshin. "What I do know is that my wife is out there and I am stuck here."

Sano turned around and punched a hole straight through the flimsy wall. "This still makes no sense! Why would she do that?"

"Protection." declared a calm, almost icy voice. The sound slowly prowled through the room like a dark panther on the hunt. The voice was dark, dangerous, and eerily in control. In a dimly lit and shrouded corner of the room stood a tall, eerie, perceptive, and intimidating man. His short black hair had not changed much over the years; his cold blue eyes which still pierced your soul had only warmed slightly. Kenshin suspected the ladder was due to Misao.

"Explain," demanded Kenshin.

"Kaoru is a person of self-sacrifice; this much is clear. First she put herself in harm's way to protect and provide for her visiting friends. Then she finds out the honor of her father has been tainted. Finally, she sees her husband losing his life to the same invader who stole her father's honor. She stopped you, thereby sacrificing herself, to protect those precious things. To protect us, protect her father's honor, protect her family, and most of all, protect you."

Sano being the most hot-blooded of everyone was the first to speak up, and rather violently, "Jo-chan wouldn't…"

"But wouldn't she? Maybe you have forgotten who Kaoru really is in your long absence. Nothing is more important to that woman than her family." cut Aoshi.

Sano clenched his fists so tight that the finger nails started to cut into his skin; small rivulets of blood started to leak from his hands. His teeth ground together; his veins protruded from his neck under the strain. As he turned to leave the room, He slammed his fist through the delicate shoji wall, the proceeded to storm out in a quiet rage. Megumi quietly followed after him, hoping to diffuse his wrath a little.

Back in the small bedroom within the dojo, Kenshin continued to stew in his futon. He knew that Aoshi was right; he knew that Megumi was right, but that did not make reality any easier to accept. He sighed deeply as he slowly lay back down. Kaoru was stubborn and stupid enough to put her own health at risk for others, she definitely proved that; however, she was also stubborn enough to keep herself alive, for now. His first instinct was to race after her, to bring her back home safely in his arms; however, he could barely stand, let alone fight right now. How infuriating!

As Kenshin slowly came to hours later, there was still that brief moment of bliss between sleep and reality where everything was still right in the world. Yesterday and the days preceding didn't happen, Kaoru wasn't missing, and the day promised to be as beautiful as the past 5 years. Then his consciousness violently corrected his delusions, and the force of it left him breathless for a few moments. Slowly and painfully, Kenshin opened his eyes and hesitantly looked around him.

"She ain't here."

The voice sounded disembodied to him, almost resigned.

The air became still and a deep cavernous void filled the room as the two friends stared towards each other, but not quite at each other. The long silence hung in the air creating an awkward atmosphere not experienced between the two since their first meeting. Kenshin looked towards the floor and swallowed, yet couldn't find the words to end the maddening emptiness.

"Um…look man," finally stuttered a flustered Sano, but then his voice quieted once again, leaving the sentence hanging. He really wasn't good at this sort of thing; it went against every part of his rough personality. Sano saw Kenshin almost look up, acknowledging him at least, but the tension still lingered. Sano sighed, and then quieted down once again.

His earlier conversation with Megumi came to the front of his mind and he closed his eyes and relived the memories.

"Sano stop!" Huffed Megumi as she ran after him. The damn fool was only walking, yet in his anger, his marching strides might as well been as wide as the ocean. The sight was akin to watching a Chihuahua run after a Great Dane. "Sano!"

Sano rounded on her, "WHAT MEGUMI!"

She held out her petite hand for a minute as she tried to catch her breath and poise herself once again. "What is really going on here Sano?"

Sano rolled his eyes as he turned around and started to march off once again. "I already told ya."

Sano's retreat was halted as Megumi's surprisingly strong hand grasped his wrist firmly. She stared into his eyes, slowly breaking down his defenses. "No Sano, you told me what you wanted us to see. Now I am asking you, what is really wrong with you?"

His eyes darted around looking for a quick escape, but found none. How the hell could a little fox like her have such a death grip anyway? When he had no other choice but to meet her eyes head on, he did.

"I failed."

Megumi was confused. "Failed what?"

"Jo-chan," clipped Sano; he looked down as he admitted it.

"But Sano, you weren't even here."

"EXACTLY!" roared Sano, his frustration and anger finally bursting through the damn. He ripped his hand from hers and he gripped his hair wildly. Megumi was sure that if she tried to pull on his arm, all of his hair would come with it. "I WASN'T HERE! I abandoned my family, I failed Cpt. Sagara. I failed Jo-chan!"

"Sano, that is ridiculous."

"Is it? Really?"

"Yes!" Huffed an annoyed Megumi. "Look Sano, we all know how you feel; we are all saddened by what has happened. We are all confused and worried, but this reaction won't help. How was it your fault? How will blaming yourself change anything? If even Kenshin couldn't stop him, how could you?"

"I KNEW KENSHIN WOULD BECOME WEAKER OVER TIME! None of us could really imagine a day when he would lose; when his power wouldn't be enough to protect her. I overestimated him and failed her!"

"Sano! This is crazy. None of this was your responsibility, and it certainly wasn't Kenshin's fault! These things happen, no one is perfect, and no one can win everything. I don't think that anyone could have realized that Kaoru's father held such a secret. I don't understand Sano. I don't understand why you feel so responsible?"

"She's my sister! She loves us for who we are. She accepts and loves everything about us regardless of our past. I left my family and little sister behind for the war. I shouldn't have a right to a family ever again, yet Kaoru provided one. She became the center of the family I shouldn't have been blessed with again, yet I was. Then I abandon it all over again! I should have stayed for her. I should have protected her!"

Megumi was truly dumbfounded; she didn't have a clue Sano felt quite that strong about it. Then again, his reaction to Kaoru's "first" death should have been a clue.

"But Sano, she chose to go."

"That makes it worse! She only chose to go because she was protecting him, protecting us! She is too self-sacrificing! She can be so short sighted. How could she do this to us? How is this protecting anyone?

"Sano, it's ok. The anger is healthy, and it is ok to be frustrated at the loss. But please show more empathy. You saw Kaoru as your little sister, the little sister that you failed to protect. But imagine the pain that Kenshin must be going through. To him, he failed to protect his wife for the second time."

Sano's slight quiver made Megumi think that she was making progress. "You are strong Sano. What are those strong fists for? Are they there to pound your friends, or are they there to protect those around you? Rather than beating Kenshin and yourself until you feel better, use those strong fists to protect Kaoru. Help Kenshin get her back. Quit being an ass! You aren't the only one here who is in pain!"

As the memory started to fade, the tension in the small room finally deflated and Sano found his voice. "Look man, I'm.."

"I know" cut in Kenshin. His voice was calm, yet he still wouldn't look up from the floor.

"It's just, she's.."

"I know." Interjected Kenshin once again. Then Kenshin lifted his head, and his purple eyes stared straight into Sano's soul. "I know."

And Sano could tell that he truly did. Kenshin knew it all, he understood it all, and he was already forgiven.

As the two fighting giants sat in that quiet room, time continued to pass on. Time was their number one enemy, yet all they could do currently do was embrace it. If they wanted to get Kaoru back, they would need time; yet that could be the one thing that would take her away forever.


	12. Chapter 12

Four long days had passed; four long days of painful loneliness, and four long days of the never ending march of time. Time, it was a funny thing. To Kenshin, it felt like all sense of time had stopped ever sense Kaoru's disappearance those 8 days ago; yet it had continued to move on in its completely stubborn fashion. It was so unyielding it its rigid laws. It wouldn't stop, it wouldn't reverse, no redoes were allowed, and it definitely would never consider returning to his family these currently lost days. The strict God known as Time would only continue its slow forward march through eternity.

Kenshin sighed, just one of many in the last few days. His body continued to slowly heal; after eight long days it would at last permit him to move for short periods of time. There was that horrid word again, time. It really did permeate through all aspects of reality; there was no escaping its all encompassing grip. Kenshin briefly wondered if the fickle God was being kinder to his long lost wife than himself.

God how he missed her. He missed Kaoru's simple smile; how her stubbornly upbeat energy seeped into the whole home and made his spirit brighter. With her gone, everything was darker. It had become so easy to get lost in the disturbing memories of his dark past. Lately, the sinister images from periods best forgotten seemed to be his only companion, well that and time. The excess amount of time, and the lack of action, permitted ample time for his mind to think, to dwell, to brood. Yes, Time was definitely not his friend as of late.

Time really, truly, was a fickle God. Over the last few years, he thought that the two of them had gotten along so well. He lived under the delusion that his past sins might have finally been forgiven, if only on some small level. And although it was not deserved, Kenshin would gladly accept the gift of peace that he was provided. Over the course of time, his heart was healed, his life fulfilled, he was cherished by a wife, blessed with a son, and peaceful days surrounded him. Now, when its very existence was threatened, Time decided to change its allegiances and continue to move forward without him. Maybe this was all a punishment for his hubris; it was a punishment for being happy in spite of his sins. It was punishment for his prideful belief that even he deserved a utopia of serenity. Maybe it was all just some sort of test played out by Fate and Time together; they had worked in cahoots against him in the distant past. His situation distantly reminded him of a bible story he heard from a missionary once. If Kenshin remembered right, the man's name was Job?

Regardless of Time's current ambitions to destroy his life and watch it slowly crumble and collapse around him, Kenshin had to find his wife. It was amazing how one woman, one very active and lively woman, could utterly disappear off the face of the earth. Sano started his search almost immediately after he was done with his "fit." With his large mouth and "modest" personality, he assured everyone that he would show them how it was done. He rounded up all of his friends that remained in Tokyo and got them to help in the search. Sano was sure he would have the problem resolved in a day. Kenshin hadn't actually seen Sano since he took off those 4 days ago; every now and then, one lone friend reports that they still have found nothing.

Yahiko and Yutarou were taking turns teaching at the dojo. When one was teaching, the other would be diligently searching. When classes were over, they would set out together; this had been going on for the entire eight days now. It was scary how focused the two were. Since waking up, Kenshin hadn't heard a single argument, not one scuffle, or any expeditions to visit the fair Tsubame. Both of the young men were so incredibly close to Kaoru; their temporary truce was just one sign of the situation's severity.

Aoshi and Misao disappeared before Sano. Considering they were the two spies, Kenshin held a lot of hope in their network; so far, that hope was not realized. Eight days, eight long days of tireless searching since Kaoru's abrupt disappearing act, and not a single clue was found. It was like Kaoru had disappeared from the planet.

When he wasn't brooding over dark memories, Kenshin was trying to figure out his own best course of action. Replaying that night over and over in his mind had not yet helped. He was not able to glean any new information, no additional clues, no further understanding of why. Kenshin was not used to the attacks not being centered on him; he wasn't exactly sure how to process the fact that his wife was at the center of a plot for revenge. A plot for revenge that from everything Kenshin knew was unwarranted. Regardless, Kenshin also could not hold back the sense of guilt he felt for his part in the situation. Although Kenshin was slightly surprised by Koshijiro's supposed abilities, he surmised that he should not have been, knowing everything he knows about Kaoru and the Kamiya style. The fact that the legacy of the Battousai was used on Koshijiro, and ultimately brought about his demise, deeply bothered Kenshin. Then to top things off, his own uselessness was the exact reason that Koshijiro's daughter was now in danger.

There was one truth that Kenshin was able to glean from that night, once sense of clarity that he now possessed; that he could not win against Tamake-san. The power of the feared Battousai had finally waned and in his current state, he held no chance of winning a re-match. Kenshin realized that although fool-hardy, Kaoru-dono's actions truly did save his life. Therefore, the final question remained, when they finally did locate the wayward Kaoru, how would he ever bring her back? " _God, I really am a Baka-Deshi,_ " thought Kenshin. Then time once again seemed to slow to a standstill as Kenshin got a flash of brilliance. "Wait! That's it! I really am a Baka-Deshi! MEGUMI!"

Early the next morning, the dojo's courtyard was packed by the short notice meeting. Kenshin was still amazed that Megumi was able to track down everyone so quickly and convince them to come back to the dojo, well surprised that she could convince Sano more accurately. Yutarou and Yahiko quietly leaned against the well with somber, serious expressions painted on their face. Neither was looking anywhere in particular; their minds were obviously elsewhere. Both appeared to be exhausted, but stubbornly determined; they were absolutely Kaoru-dono's students thought Kenshin. To the left, Aoshi placed himself along the fence in the shadows, quietly observing the energy in the atmosphere. Although, Kenshin wondered how he could feel any energy besides the overly excited Misao's, who was standing by his side as always. Misao appeared like a lit firework that was being forcefully held in place. She was literally bouncing up and down; the tension must have been getting to her. Lounging casually along the porch next to Kenshin was Sano with his characteristic fish bone hanging from his mouth. Well casually was a slight overstatement. Sano was trying to give off the appearance of nonchalance; however, Kenshin could read the slight signs of stress. Dark circles were just beginning to form under his eyes. He had his arms folded over his chest, and although hidden, Kenshin could tell his fists were clenched by the visible strain of his muscles and veins. Sano had already chewed through his fourth fish bone in the last 10 minutes. Kenshin briefly wondered how his friend had any teeth left at all? Megumi was casually strolling through the front gate, having brought Kenji to Tae's for the afternoon.

"Well, are we going to get on with this little pow-wow Kenshin, or are we just going to waste more time?" growled out Sano.

Kenshin sighed. "Yes Sano." Kenshin waited a few more moments as his gaze panned across his gathered friends. "I called you all here this morning, because I have made a decision that will affect you all."

Kenshin could see the signs of apprehension cross almost everyone's face simultaneously, save for one stoic ninja. "I'm leaving…" but Kenshin was cut off before he could finish by the sound of Sano's fist punching through one of the porch's support beams.

Sano's face darkened as he rounded a hard glare on his small friend. "What did you say?"

Kenshin shook his head in slight amusement. His friend's already short fuse was non-existent these days. "I said I am leaving Sano, but…"

Once again, Kenshin was drowned out by the furious Sano, "There are no buts for abandoning Jo-chan! She is your wife! You are way past the point of being a wanderer Kenshin! This crazy dude is after Jo-chan, not you! How will leaving solve anything!"

"Sano!" quipped a terse Megumi. "Maybe if you would actually let Ken-san finish a sentence, you would find out! Quit firing off like a premature rocket and listen to others you stupid rooster head!" As Megumi finished, the glare that she had been fixing on Sano changed to an expression of annoyance. Megumi's face resembled that of a mother scolding an impatient child more than a grown man. As he took his seat once more, face slightly red, Megumi gave out one quick huff and used her hand to flip her hair behind her shoulders. "Really, children these days! You may continue Ken-san."

Kenshin gave off his first small smile in days; his spirit was lightened slightly by the antics of his friends. It was this light hearted banter that made things seem almost normal. Kenshin shook his head, an effort to dispel the distraction. "I am leaving for Kyoto."

Yutarou was floored. How could going to Kyoto help anyone? He turned his head slightly towards Yakiko, expecting a similar response to his own; however, Yahiko was surprisingly calm. As a matter of fact, he even appeared slightly excited. Yutarou guessed that this must be one of those times when his prolonged absence equaled a lack of information.

"Kenshin," Yahiko spoke, "does that mean what I think it means?"

"Yes Yahiko, I would suspect so. I am going back to hopefully train with Master."

"But Kenshin, I thought that you already lost most of your former power. Wasn't your body to small to handle it? And besides, didn't you already learn everything about the Hiten Mitsurugi style?" voiced Misao. Kenshin was not surprised by her outburst; actually, Kenshin was really surprised that she was able to stay quite as long as she did. Aoshi's presences really did calm her greatly.

"Ah, I see," spoke an enlightened Megumi. "I don't know why I didn't see this before. I believe Misao, that Ken-san wants to train his body this time. If he is able to train his body and build muscle mass, it might be able to counteract the waning of his power. However Kenshin, the Hiten Mitsurugi wasn't the only thing that took its toll. Years of war has left many scars on your body and impeded your ability to fight. Trying to regain power at this point will not be easy, I would even dare to say dangerous. You could do permanent damage to your muscles, especially with the sort of training you will be doing. You may be putting your very life at risk, I can't recommend such actions."

Kenshin nodded his head in acknowledgement and understanding. "I know Megumi, I understand my body more than anyone. Even so, I must go. This is my best chance to rescue Kaoru-dono."

"Well excuse me, but wouldn't finding Jo-chan be her best chance of rescue?" muttered Sano. Upon noticing Megumi's glare, Sano rolled his eyes and turned his body towards Kenshin. "Look, all I am sayin is that training won't do a bit of good if you don't know where to go."

"I understand that too; however, what shall I do when I do find her Sano? In my current condition I cannot beat Tamake-san; I know this now. Years ago, it would have been a different story, but I must now face this reality. Should I throw myself head first into the impending fight regardless; therefore making Kaoru-dono's sacrifice meaningless? I will train, and trust in all of you to find Kaoru's location in my absence. That way, when she is found, I will possess the strength to win her back."

Kenshin saw that Sano was about to throw him a retort, but he anticipated his response. "I know that I can rely on your strength when it comes time for battle, and I am sure that I will. However, Tamake-san alone was a very serious opponent, and we do not yet know how many others are with him. I do not yet know the full extent of his powers, but it could rival Shishio's. This is not a fight that we can take lightly and rush into head first. We must all take time to prepare."

"But Kenshin, we don't have Time! Right this minute, Jo-chan could be…, she could be…, he could be doing…" Sano's retort sounded more like a plea, like he was begging Kenshin to understand. Kenshin pitied him a bit; he shared the same feelings not very long ago.

"Sometimes time must be sacrificed in order to gain it back again." All heads turned towards the quiet shadow that spoke in the eerily calm, icy voice. It was the first action Aoshi had shown the entire meeting. "We must use this time where we have been neglected to gather valuable information. Running into a slaughter due to impatience will not help anyone."

Kenshin nodded his head once in confirmation; Aoshi took the words right out of his mouth. "I will be leaving at first light. Yahiko and Yutarou, I need you to continue to look after the school." Both young men nodded their heads somberly in affirmation. "Megumi-dono, I know you are busy, but please watch after Kenji."

"Of course Ken-san."

"We'll go back to Kyoto with you Kenshin!" spoke a much too eager Misao. Her tone implied that they were simply leaving for a vacation. Kenshin wondered if she forgot the true purpose of the trip?

"We'll be able to use our networks more effectively from there," clarified Aoshi.

"Thank you both," replied a grateful Kenshin. He understood fully that their best chance of finding Kaoru lied with the Oniwabanshu and their intricate information network. Aoshi was correct, he could control and monitor the information more closely at the source.

"Well what about me? What am I, chopped liver?" quipped Sano.

"No, broiled rooster," retorted Megumi.

"I assumed you would continue your search here Sano, and protect everyone in my stead. Am I mistaken?" Kenshin calmly gazed at his friend, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Uh No! And that way, I can take out this Tamake bastard when I find him!" Sano pounded his fist into his hand and he said this; he almost looked gleeful at the possibility. That is, until the atmosphere began to turn dark and a tense electricity filled the air. Sano turned his gauze towards Kenshin, not all to surprised by what he saw. He figured this more demon like Kenshin would make another appearance or two before this issue was resolved.

With resolved golden eyes, hair as red as fire, and a fiercely firm grip on his sword, Kenshin growled out in a low deep voice, "Tamake is mine."

Later that evening, as the sun was setting over the horizon, Kenshin found his son sitting alone on the porch. His hands were at his sides, gripping the porch as his legs swung back and forth. His gaze seemed fixated on the horizon, where the setting sun was painting the sky an interesting combination of reds and blues. It was as though even the sky was depressed by the foreboding future. Kenshin could hear the distinct sound of humming coming from the child, it was a tune Kaoru had sung to him quite often. Kenshin's own heart broke as he watched Kenji wipe a lone tear from his cheek.

Kenshin had always hoped to spare Kenji from pain. For a few years there, he stupidly thought he could. It was a nice delusion, but still a delusion nonetheless. Pain is intertwined with the joys of life, it was a simple fact. And although acknowledging the fact that pains made joys that much sweeter, it did not lessen the pain.

Kenshin was also sure that his absence from Kenji's life over the last 8 days, so soon after losing his mother, did not help. It was necessary, and Kenshin had little control over it, but it still did not make dealing with things any easier for such a young child. Life was anything but fair sometimes. Kaoru disappeared, now Kenshin had to leave, and a young child was left behind to wait for all the wrongs to be put right. It was a wait that could be fruitless should Kenshin and his friends fail. Kenshin shook such dark thoughts from his mind as he took a seat by his son.

The two sat there in silence for a few moments, both content to stare at the curiously sad sky. Kenshin, unsure exactly what to say to Kenji, was satisfied to comfort him with his humble presence.

"Mom's gone," muttered Kenji quietly.

Kenshin turned his gaze to Kenji, who was still staring out at the sky. Upon returning his gaze to match his son's, Kenshin replied simply, "I know."

"Megumi-san said that you are leaving too."

"I am."

"Is Mom coming back?"

"I hope."

"Are you coming back?"

"I hope."

"Why did Mom leave?"

Kenshin turned his head towards Kenji again, wanting to impress the truth behind his words into his son. "She didn't want to leave. She left to protect us from a sad and angry man. I couldn't protect her, so she left to protect us."

Kenji's head shifted to look at his father; two more tears were slowly making their way down his face. "Why do you have to leave?"

Kenshin placed a comforting hand on Kenji's cheek, brushing the tears away with his thumb. "I have to go get mommy."

Kenji nodded his head in understanding and he turned to face the sky once more.

Kenshin shifted towards the small boy, wrapping his arm lovingly, comfortingly around his shoulders as small shakes shook his body. "I miss mommy."

One lone tear made its way down its oblivious owner's cheek, too concerned with his son. As the two sat there, staring at the nothingness of the darkening sky, Kenshin replied the only way he could, "Me too Kenji, me too."


	13. Chapter 13

"Swosh…..swish…huff…..swosh…swish….huff."

The long, slender, polished wood swung through the air gracefully. Its practiced movements were well controlled and orchestrated, almost like a dance. The entire scene was more like watching living art than a kata form. The owner found immense comfort in the ordinary ritual of practice, the fact that she could still control this one small aspect of her life. She also had a feeling, considering her situation, that she would require all the practice that she could get.

"Clack, clack, clack, clack."

The distinct sound of footsteps echoing across the old stone floor halted Kaoru from her training. Her bokken was still outstretched in her hands, frozen in place during her current her kata. Kaoru let out a long sigh, then a quite growl; she would know those footsteps anywhere by now.

"What would you like Fukuki."

Tamake-san leered at her for a moment; a sly smile slowly crawled up one side of his face. He leisurely took in the lovely picture before him. His current pet stood erect in its pen; a perfect picture of poise and grace. The hard, almost feral stare she fixed on him reminded him of a lioness in a hunt, it was cold and calculating. Her body was stiff, but not from fear. The way the bokken sat in her hands, the way her body was angled just so, the piercing gaze, the tense muscles, she was just waiting for the chance to strike.

"When I stole your freedom from you Kamiya-san, I didn't know that it included your manners as well." One of his eyebrows angled up as if his statement was actually a question.

Kaoru swept her hand across the cold, dank cell that she was confined to. There was a pile of slightly moldy straw in the corner that she supposed was his generous offer of a bed. The walls were cool and moist with the sort of dew that forms underground. The only real source of light was a few filtered streams here and there from the sparse thin windows that weren't completely covered and blocked with grime.

She never removed her glare from him as she spat out her reply, "When you show me some, perhaps I will return the favor."

His response was a laugh, a loud barking laugh that rose from the pits of his stomach. "You are so much like your father."

"I shall take that as a compliment."

"It is a part of you that I shall enjoy breaking."

"Not if I break you first."

The sly smile that never left Tamake-san face grew wider; it was a smile that made Kaoru's hairs stand on end. "I love that spirit of yours, it will serve me well."

A sense of unease and foreboding grew inside of Kaoru. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Your father damaged many lives little Kaoru, it would not be kind of me to keep your demise all to myself now would it?" And with that final cryptic response, Tamake-san turned and walked back the way he came; his dark laughter filling the small prison and resounding off all of the walls.

Kaoru cringed at the harsh sound, and then sighed as she sank against the cool wall towards the floor. She placed the bokken on the ground in front of her, crossed her arms across her knees, and rested her head on her arms. It was a pretty lonely picture to behold.

Worry ate at Kaoru while she sat there. She worried about the husband that she left behind, bruised, broken, and on deaths door. His prone and bleeding image haunted her every thought. She shook her head, trying fruitlessly to dispel the picture. It was a sight that she had hoped to never bear witness to again, and for a few foolish years there she believed that she never would. Naive bliss was such a nice state of mind, but it sure hurt when the bubble burst. She knew that she had done all that she could for him, that she had patched him up to the best of her abilities, but she was no Megumi.

That thought made her smile a bit. The doctor would certainly see to Kenshin's heath, even if it killed them both. And as luck would have it, Megumi should have arrived within a few hours of her disappearance. Kaoru just had to believe that Kenshin was strong enough to hold on that long, for her own sanity if nothing else.

Her smile eventually turned hollow, her eyes empty. She had no doubt that her husband would be furious when he finally awoke to find her gone; he would be practically inconsolable when he found out that she had been the one to knock him out and leave willingly. Kenshin was one to harbor guilt, even when it was not his to bear. She could see the guilt forming in his eyes clearly as soon as he heard about his role in her father's fate. It didn't matter to him that it wasn't really him, but the position and its legend that really sealed her late father's destiny. It didn't really have to be Kenshin at all; her father's position in the war could have been based on any number of successful warriors, even Saito. However, Kenshin didn't see any of this; in his eyes, his dark past had destroyed another family, his. She hated that her recent actions had only added to the dark shadows that he already bore; however, she would rather him carry around more demons than her carry around the weight of his death. She was certain that had she not stepped in when she did; his death was most assuredly what the final outcome would be. At the time, she was really in no condition to fight, and in his condition, Kenshin was never going to win.

Her sacrifice wasn't purely selfless. With Kenshin's loss, not only would she lose her beloved husband, but Kenji would have lost both parents. She was sure that had he died, she would still be in the same exact predicament that she was in now; however, then she would be without any hope of rescue. Given time, she might find herself in a favorable position to defeat Fukuki and escape, but only Kami knew how many guards he held out there. With Kenji's future and happiness on the line, it wasn't a gamble that she was willing to take.

She worried about the sleeping son that she never kissed goodbye. She really missed his smiling face and small hugs. Despite Kenshin's absolute devotion to their son, Kenji had always favored her. She really hoped that despite both of their loneliness, they could find some comfort and strength in each other. Regardless, she had made her choice, and now had to live with the consequences. For now, she just had to have faith in them. She took a small amount of comfort in the knowledge that their friends were already on their way back and would definitely offer their support.

Actually, pondering on that thought, she winced slightly. Kenshin wouldn't be the only one furious with her decision; she had a feeling that Yahiko would give her an earful when she saw him again. Definitely when, not if she saw him again. Over the years, the young apprentice had become more like a brother than a student. She could see that Yahiko saw her as a sister at least; possibly even as a substitute mother of sorts. The boy was fiercely protective of his substitute family, especially her. The fact that he reminded her so much of herself brought the small smile back to her face.

Her decision was as much to protect their friends as it was Kenshin. Yahiko had become very strong over the years, but even now he was only as strong as the current Kenshin. If Kenshin couldn't beat Fukuki, then Yahiko held little hope as well. She flinched at the thought of what Fukuki would do to Misao and Yutarou had he gotten a hold of them. Sano was returning, but Kaoru really had no idea what his current fighting condition was like; though, she found it hard to believe that he would let himself go either. Aoshi was probably strong enough to defeat him; however, he deserved a peaceful retirement as much as Kenshin.

When it was all boiled down, she couldn't bear to risk any of their lives for her family's sins. Lately she had plenty of time to come to terms with her father's dark past. Although she mourned the fact that he had to sacrifice his own beliefs and morals for the sake of his government and comrades, she understood. In a way, he upheld the Kamiya Kasshin style to the bitter end. The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was a kenjitsu developed to protect life, her father ultimately decided to use it to protect the lives of his friends. It was a noble sacrifice. Regardless, she doubted she would ever convince her captor of this; his hatred was already too deeply embedded into his soul. Only the blood of a Kamiya would cleanse his hatred. Considering she wasn't sure if he was even aware of Kenji's existence, a fact she was not keen on enlightening him on, that left her the sole focus of his revenge. As the sole remaining Kamiya, her father's honor was her weight to bear; she refused to sacrifice her friends' lives because of it.

That left her with her most pressing problem, Fukuki's cryptic message. Kaoru let out another long and deep sigh; it had become a nasty habit of hers as of late. After pondering on the possible meaning for over an hour, with no helpful rewards besides a pounding headache, she decided to give up. She stood and made her way over towards her moldy excuse for a bed; she supposed it was a good thing she spent the last two weeks building her strength and training. If Fukuki's annoyingly ambiguous message was any clue, she would definitely need it soon.

The next morning, she was rudely awoken to the loud crashing of her cell door opening. She groaned softly as she saw two overly large and stupid looking lackeys enter her cell, towering over her. She figured it was sometime around mid-morning, but the lack of light down here tended to throw off her sense of time.

"Up," commanded Thing One curtly.

"And put this on," chimed Thing Two as he threw a soft pile of cloth on top of her.

She cracked one eye as she looked up at them with bored distain, "And if I don't?"

A flash of silver slicing through the air and stopping millimeters from her neck was Thing One's reply. "Just put it on, Tamake-san's orders."

Kaoru genuinely thought about fighting for a brief moment, and against these goons she probably could easily win; however, for now it was best to maintain the status quo. Even if she could defeat these two idiots, it was unlikely she would find Fukuki, defeat him and all of his other goons, and still manage to escape alive. If she was wise however, she could use this opportunity to stake out her surroundings and collect valuable intelligence which would be required in the future.

As she sat up and inspected the scraps of fabric more closely, she noticed Things One and Two leave out of the corner of her eye. She was sure they would be back soon. As she continued to inspect the garments, she was surprised; in her hands were a man's hakama and kimono. It was a slightly more formal outfit than her normal Kendo training gear. The hakama was a muted grey, while the men's kimono was an indigo purple mixture. A sharp pain filled her chest; it robbed her temporarily of her breath and sent her mind reeling. She gripped the outfit firmly to her chest as she breathed through the heartache. How ironic that she would be forced to wear the same sort of outfit as her husband during his hikitori days. Now that she thought about it, it was a similar outfit to her father during his days in the Boshin war. No sense dwelling on that particular mystery, it was all but solved now. After she had donned the outfit, she pulled her hair into a high pony-tail. She figured she might as well complete the look Fukuki was obviously going for.

So there Kamiya Kaoru stood, bokken in hand, hikitori outfit complete, and sharp eyes piercing through the dim prison hall. It was slightly demeaning having to wait for Things One and Two, but she figured that was the point. She could only guess what would await her outside of this cell.

As Kaoru passed over the threshold, a slight trepidation crept into her. She quickly, and as discreetly as possible, eyed her surroundings. It appeared that she was in some sort of stadium box, the kind reserved for the most VIP guests. The floors were covered in rich wooden planks; the high gloss gave off a reflection not to unlike a mirror. The walls were covered in some sort of imported red European fabric; it was the first time Kaoru had seen something like it. She found her fingertips instinctually reaching out to touch it; luckily she caught herself. There was one single chair lacquered in a golden finish with plush red cushions, and thick red velvet curtains hung at the opening to the stadium below. Kaoru thought the whole look was rather gaudy.

In the center of the box, leaning against the banister, stood Tamake Fukuki, leering in his normally creepy fashion. The way he tended to look at her was really unsettling Kaoru decided. It was almost like he saw her as a possession, a little toy doll to be played with rather than a human. At the moment, she decided that description was probably pretty close to the truth. He was dressed in a traditional samurai's kamishimo. It was slightly more formal than his normal attire; it was definitely more formal than her attire. His clothing gave off the image of a higher position, a person of greater importance than herself. It wasn't to unlike a picture of a warrior standing before his feudal lord; she supposed that was the representation he was going for.

Upon noticing her entrance he spread his arms out in the air, as if preparing to greet her with a hug. "Ah, the precious Kaoru-san. I feel honored that my doll would grace me with her presence."

Kaoru's eye twitched in annoyance; she didn't think he would outright admit her prior supposition. "It isn't like I had much of a choice."

His smile grew wider at her comment, it seemed as though he thrived on her aggressive banter. "You always have a choice; I just wouldn't recommend the alternative."

Kaoru smiled harshly in return, "On this we can agree. I still haven't figured out how I would crush you if I were dead. It is an interesting conundrum, don't you agree Fukuki?"

Tamake-san sighed in mock exacerbation, "Common manners always seem so lost on you Kaoru-san. Our world relies on the simple formalities of life, it is a shame that they seem to escape you." His smile then faded and his face morphed into a piercing glare, "You shall know your place and address me as Tamake-san."

Kaoru returned the glare in kind, "I shall show you the, "simple formalities of life," when you return them in kind. I am sorry to say that stealing me away from my family and friends, locking me up in a dark cell, and forcing me to bend to your will at the point of a sword does not constitute good manners."

Tamake-san's piercing laugh was not completely unexpected; it seemed to be a normal reaction for him these days. "What spunk you have, that part of you is very much like your father." Then the laughing cut off almost as quickly as it started. The atmosphere turned darker; you could almost see the malevolent Kai coming off him in waves. "It is something that I will enjoy crushing very much."

"And how will you accomplish that?"

He swung him arm out towards the opening below him as he casually answered, "Your answer lies below you my dear."

Kaoru was seriously starting to wonder if this guy was stable, his moods switched from one extreme to the other faster than lightening. Shaking the thought from her mind she peered into the stadium below her and gasped. Directly under them, right in the center of the stadium, sat a formal Kendo match ring. "You have to be kidding!"

"Oh very far from it," sneered Tamake-san. "You will be my new prized fighter. Imagine all of the ex-samurai that will pay for a chance to defeat the daughter of the Kamiya Devil. You would be delusional to believe that I am the only man with vengeance against your father in his heart."

"I refuse. Kill me if you want, but my decision will not change. The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was not developed for your games and sick quest for vengeance."

Tamake-san slammed his fist against the banister in a brief, rare fit of uncontrolled rage. "You WILL cooperate, and I will enjoy watching your pride slowly crumble as you willingly sully your fathers lasting legacy. I will bask in the joy of watching you taint both of your honors in these games of chance; as you use your precious Kamiya Kasshin Ryu to try to crush your opponents in your petty struggle for survival. And only when you are a shell of your former self, when the last remnants of hope have left your eyes, will I return your body back to your family in pieces! I can't wait to see the Battosai's expression as he holds your mutilated corpse in his hands, learns of your final hopeless days, figures out that you lost your faith in him and the world, and discovers that there was nothing that he could do to stop any of it! HA HA HA HA"

It wasn't' until that moment that Kaoru realized how truly demented this lost soul truly was; that his entire being was warped by his quest for vengeance. Even Enishi retained more reason than this individual, and that fact scared her. With Enishi, her life was never in any real danger; even in his darkest days he could never hurt a woman that resembled his sister. This man though, this man would kill his own mother if it suited his needs. Her father's legacy was important to her; however, his honor paled in comparison to Kenshin's well being on a scale. She couldn't let this demon anywhere near him ever again.

"I'll take my life before I ever let you hurt Kenshin."

Seeming to regain his senses, Tamake-san's calm and calculating energy threw Kaoru off balance. Was she ever going to get used to his emotional whiplash? "I wouldn't recommend that Kaoru-san. Look there…"

Kaoru looked in the direction he was pointing, and saw what looked to be a trigger, or switch of some kind.

"That is for the bombs my dear. If you refuse to participate, if you try to escape, harm yourself, or kill me, those bombs will be set off on everyone in this stadium. I know that their innocence or guilt will matter little to you; after all, you believe that every life is sacred."

Kaoru spat out in disgust, "You would murder your own patrons? That is insane? What sort of business man kills his customers?"

"Society will not miss a stadium full of criminals and yakuza my doll. It would be rather easy for me to move locations and start all over. I hear that Shanghai is a rather welcoming city for someone such as myself. However, it is a moot point because you will never call my bluff. Even if you were to decide that you did not value their lives, you could never risk the chance that I will not mix in some innocent vagabonds from the streets. There are always plenty of poor rats eager for a hot meal and a roof for a few hours. So think hard about your final decision Kaoru-san, but don't think two long. Your first fight starts in two hours."

Kaoru grit her teeth in frustration and dug her nails into her palms almost hard enough to draw blood as she stared out over the ring blankly. _Dammit_ she thought. _Fukuki has me trapped in a cage and he knows it! Gah! I have never enjoyed playing the damsel in distress, but Kenshin, now would be a really good time to jump in and save the day you know….."_


	14. Chapter 14

The bright morning light delicately streamed through the thinning trees; the bright rays danced and glistened through the trees like diamonds, or one could even say like the fluttering eyelashes of God. A couple of morning birds were dancing in the air, chirping happy tunes. In the near distance, the thinning trees stopped and gave way to a small clearing. Soft crunching could be heard as a lone figure slowly made his way towards the edge of the clearing. They perky morning atmosphere did not match his pessimistic attitude at all. As the figure approached the edge of the woods, a hand reached into the air and ran down the long red locks of its owner.

A deep sigh escaped his lips.

" _It is amazing how one small building can appear so large and imposing,"_ mused Kenshin _._ His lanky frame stood glued to the entrance of the clearance; the border of trees along the rim was his last refuge. In the center of the clearing sat a small, poor, inconsequential hut with smoke billowing out of the fireplace. Well, inconsequential to anyone that didn't know the annoyingly, overbearing giant that lived inside it. _"_ Why did I decide to put myself through this again?" " _The Wife,"_ thought Kenshin to himself. _"I need to save the wife."_ Kenshin shook his head in a vain effort to clear it. "Great, I'm arguing with myself. I'm not even there yet, and there mere thought of that man has driven me to insanity. Maybe I should have just trained myself." With that thought on his mind, Kenshin let out a quick huff of exasperation. "Let's get this over with."

The sullen warrior begrudgingly made his way towards the small home. The two minute walk seemed to take 2 hours and 2 seconds all at the same time. It was more like he was marching to his death rather than to his childhood home. He hesitated in the doorway, trying to collect his thoughts and the last remnants of his pride. He figured the latter was hopeless. No one could hope to retain any pride around Hiko Seijuro, especially when begging him for a favor. Oh well, he would readily discard all of it in order to save Kaoru.

"Are you going to come inside, or continue to stand out there like a Baka?" chided the disembodied voice from inside the house.

_I spent so much time thinking that I walked straight into that one…_

" _Well?"_

Kenshin pushed the door open and walked through the threshold. "Good morning Shisho." He bowed as he greeted his master; figuring he might as well appear as humble as possible.

Hiko frowned at the lump of flesh in front of him. "Things must be just great at home for you to act that formal here," he muttered in a sarcastic tone. "Where's the woman and the brat?"

Kenshin lifted himself up into a standing position, but kept his head angled towards the floor as he answered. "Kenji is safe at home. Kaoru is gone."

A quick snort echoed across the room, "Finally got tired of you did she?"

Kenshin couldn't help the growl that escaped his lips. "She was taken," he all but barked out.

Hiko quirked an eyebrow at him, "What? Speak up Baka."

Kenshin's head shot up as he glared at the behemoth. "SHE WAS TAKEN!"

Hiko noticed the amber glint in Kenshin's eyes, the huffs escaping from him as though he had just run miles, and his hands were in fists and shaking at his sides. "No need to shout. Sit down and explain you idiot. Even someone as simple as you should be able to manage that task."

As Kenshin finished telling the tale, a story filled with his failures, he felt very open and vulnerable. He sat there, in the thick atmosphere that he had created, unsure what else to say. There was nothing more that he could say.

"So you're telling me that because you became lazy, you lost your woman, again, and are now expecting me to clean up your mess, again. I am noticing a pattern here."

"No. While I admit my mistakes led to this, I do not expect you to "fix" anything. I simply want you to train my body to handle the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu again."

Hiko Seijuro waved his hand at his apprentice nonchalantly. "You wouldn't need me to re-train you if you weren't suck a lazy baka."

"I am not Lazy! This is a time of peace; I too wanted to live in these peaceful times. Besides, my body was too small to handle the style, and I have since lost the capability to use it properly."

Hiko shot up like a rocket, glaring down at his idiot apprentice. "You FOOL! We are swordsmen with the weight of human blood our souls. There is no such thing as peaceful times for us! If you knew that you were too small to continue using your true strength, than you should have trained yourself then! Now, years later, you come to me begging me to help you do something that should have been done long ago. If you truly wanted to retain your abilities, you would have come to me for this training years ago. Peace made you lazy."

Kenshin refused to bow his head in shame, he had done that enough recently and it had accomplished nothing. He too rose and glared right back at his master, his hand rested on his sword from instinct. "That may be true, but I can't bring myself to think it was entirely wrong to relish in those peaceful days; though, I have admitted that it was folly. I was happy to simply live and share in my family's happiness; in the never-ending kindness that Kaoru-dono showed me. I finally, truly understood what I was trying to help others protect for all of those years. My enemies are now behind me. I should no longer need the Hiten Mitsurugi; my current strength should have been enough."

Hiko's expression shifted very clearly to one of disappointment, and possibly slight annoyance at his student's depth of stupidity. "Kenshin," he spoke in a tiresome tone, almost like he was talking to a petulant child, "Wasn't your dream to protect the small happiness of those around you? How will you accomplish that without strength? You stupidly underestimated your opponents or overestimated your own capabilities; either way you were dim. Anyone who picks up a sword must be prepared to defend himself and his principals until the end; it is our sacrifice for the power we seek. Once you pick up the sword, your enemies never vanish; even Kaoru understood this."

The lingering silence continued to hang in the air; nothing that Kenshin could say was sufficient to fill the void. He knew that his master was correct; he realized his own mistakes back in Tokyo. That self-enlightenment only meant that he wouldn't repeat the same mistakes in the future; however, he still needed to correct this one now.

Hiko was the first one to break the silence as he glanced at his student sympathetically, a rare emotion for the pompous man, "For what it is worth, I did like the girl. She has fire. I always suspected that the visit shortly after Kenji was born was her idea."

A small smile graced Kenshin's face as he nodded his head in agreement. "Hai, that it was; though, I did easily agree."

"I wouldn't worry too much. That girl can take care of herself; you found a strong one Kenshin."

"Hai, but just the same, I want to rescue Kaoru-dono, Shisho."

As Hiko moved towards the small doorway of his house, he began to remove the Master's Cloak from his broad shoulders. Without even turning around, he flung the heavy cloak over his shoulder where it landed squarely on top of his apprentice's head. "Well than, you best put this on Baka."

When the unexpected weight of the cloak descended upon Kenshin's head and left him blind, he quickly toppled to the ground in an ungraceful heap. After struggling to remove the annoying object for a few moments, he let out a frustrated growl as the last of the fabric was removed from his eyes. He could see his master had paused in the doorway; he appeared to be waiting on something, or someone. Kenshin held the cloak in his hands as he stood up, glancing at it and his master in turn a few times. "Oro?"

"If your aim is to re-master the Hiten Mitsurugi, then you will need that. Its weight, and the weight of the responsibility that it represents as a Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi, will get you back into shape in no time." And then with an air of arrogant authority that only he could pull off, Hiko Seijuro stepped out into the blinding morning light with his baka-deshi comically running close behind; an insanely ostentatious cloak in his hands and a look of sudden apprehension adorning his face.

Late into that evening, or should we say early the next morning, a prone figure rested underneath the comforting canopy of a large, old cherry blossom tree on the boarder of the clearing. His long red locks obscured his face; the slight wind providing the illusion that the crimson strands were dancing. It was quite an eerie sight to behold, the shadows ghosting across the lone figure's weary face. His eyes were closed as though he was resting; however if you listened close enough, you would hear the harsh huffs of air escaping as he struggled to regain his breath. If you looked close enough, you would see the beads of sweat slowly dripping down his body.

" _I can't tell if Shisho is training me, or killing me; probably a bit of both. I forgot how much Shisho loves to torture me…"_

Kenshin let that thought linger in the air as he turned his face up towards the heavens. The night was clear and the moon full. The stars shone and twinkled like miniature lanterns in the sky; the image was like many nights of his past. He let the memories wash over him as he let his body cool down from that day's harsh training. Recollections of sleepless nights during the war, lonely nights during his wandering, the first night he met Kaoru, the night they parted in Tokyo, their shared moment on the rooftop in Kyoto, the night his son was born, and even the night he asked Kaoru to be his forever all drifted through his mind as he gazed at the night sky. Kenshin's exhausted mind latched onto the last memory like a lifeline; after re-living so many darker memories over the last couple of weeks, it hungrily welcomed the uplifting memory like a dying man in the desert grasps for water. That night really was one of the greatest nights of his life. As his eyes drifted closed, and his breathing evened out, his subconscious got lost in the memories of that night.

Two distinct figures walking along the deserted Tokyo street could be made out in the darkness of the night. The bright full moon combined with the million twinkling stars illuminated the pathway and the shadowed figures on it. One was just slightly taller than the other; however, both were rather small in stature. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the obviously masculine attire on the first, both could almost be mistaken for females.

Kenshin could see their final destination on the horizon and wondered if this particular location was really the right choice. It seemed perfect when the thought first came to him; but now as the apprehension grew within him, he doubted his call. _"I wonder what Kaoru-dono will think when she realizes where it is that we are heading. Will the memories there shadow what I need to tell her tonight?"_ Kenshin quickly dispelled the meddling thoughts from his mind. " _Look at me, I have faced countless battles, killed hundreds of men, and I am afraid of one woman's thoughts."_ He was briefly content in the small measure of self assurance he allotted himself; however, his subconscious would not let that fallacy hang, " _Yes, scared because her thoughts and answers matter above all others. She above everyone else holds the key to your eternal happiness._ " Kenshin almost let out an audible growl of frustration, but stopped himself before he could worry Kaoru. " _She has already made her intentions quite known. I do not believe that I have anything to fear from her, that I do not."_

Kenshin was so trapped in his internal musings that he didn't realize that they had finally arrived at their destination until the audible gasp escaped from Kaoru's lips. One look at her face and he could see the panic setting in; her breaths were coming in short, shallow huffs. Her hands instinctually went up to cover her quivering mouth. Guilt gripped Kenshin's heart because he knew that he was the direct cause of her current misery. He reached forward and took her hands gently in his, slowly prying them away from her face. He ran soothing circles on the back of her hands with his thumbs.

"You remember this place Kaoru-dono?"

Tears started to form in her eyes, and she blinked furiously trying to hold them back. "How could I ever forget," she whispered into the night.

"Hai," was Kenshin's simple reply.

It was one year ago in this very spot that she thought she had lost Kenshin forever. He had led her to the very same riverbank. Even the fireflies were out tonight, dancing around them much like that fateful night. It was the one evening that she would never forget, no matter how much she may have wished. To this day, her heart would still race when Kenshin would disappear for prolonged periods of time.

" _Is this what he meant the other night when he said that he would "fix this" after those men attacked me? Is he going to protect me and my reputation by leaving again? I can't say goodbye a second time, not here at least.._."

As her desperation ate at her, Kaoru fought to gain control of herself. She was a sword master, independent, and a woman not to be trifled with. An inner fire started to burn within her; it started to spread and consume her. Her eyes dried, her panic died, and her face hardened. If Kenshin wanted to leave again, so be it. This time she would not turn into a blubbering idiot; she would follow him into the pits of hell if she needed to. However, as she stood there with Kenshin holding her hands and his eyes boring into the depths of her very soul, nothing could prepare her for what actually came out of his mouth.

"Kaoru-dono, I am very sorry for the memories that this place must remind you of. Considering that I was the one that created them, I was hoping that taking you here tonight would help remold them. I know that I will never deserve you. I know that your beautiful, innocent soul should forever be out of the reach of my tainted hands, but I would be very honored, even knowing this, if you would become my wife Kaoru."

Kenshin was starting to become worried that Kaoru had gone into shock. Moments had passed and she remained frozen in her place. While he could never be sure how she would react to anything, because she always managed to surprise him, he definitely didn't expect this. He became increasingly worried as he watched the grim, thin line form on her lips and her eyes strain with deep thought.

"Why? Why now Kenshin? Is this because of those men the other day? I'm sorry Kenshin, but that isn't the sort of union I want. I can't be married for no other reason than your desire to protect my reputation from myself."

Kenshin shook his head slightly as he released her left hand and brushed his hands across her cheek. "No Kaoru-dono. While that event did give me the courage to finally voice my desires, it is not the cause of my question. I think I have loved you ever since that first day when your strangely pure soul trapped me in that dojo; I was just to damaged to notice it. I thought I almost lost you once; it is not something that I can live through again. Please Kaoru, I want to remain by your side forever."

That had done it, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing now. She placed her free hand over her mouth and she shook her head in agreement, gently, almost hesitantly. It was as though if she agreed too quickly, she would wake up and realize this was only a dream. "Yes. Of course. Yes."

A genuine smile swept across Kenshin's face as he swept Kaoru up in his arms. For the first time in so long, his heart finally felt complete again.

As the dream faded away with the darkness, the new morning dawned. Hues of purples, reds, oranges, and yellows painted the early sky as the sun made its slow assent. Then, as the sun rose over the horizon, so did Kenshin from underneath the comforting canopy of the tree. He knew it was only a matter of minutes before Hiko came out from the hut to begin the next day's torture. He gazed into the open sky and tried to picture her in the distant unknown. As he closed his eyes, he could see her smiling face, and welcoming arms as though she were right in front of him. "Kaoru, I'll find you, no matter what the cost. I will remain by your side forever."


	15. Chapter 15

Silence clung to the air; the atmosphere pulsed with anticipation. A slight sound of breathing could be heard, a sign that the figure standing in the center of the large room had exerted only a minimal amount of energy. Her attention was still focused on the enemy before her; bokken held at attention in front. The adversary, an obviously aging samurai, laid sprawled out in the center of the ring. Another beat passed, and then deafening noise erupted from the arena as the audience cheered for the obvious victor.

Flowers, scraps of expensive silks, and various other small trinkets were thrown into the center of the ring with crazed enthusiasm by the overly drunk crowd. The noises were deafening as cheers and boos were shouted at the tops of lungs. One would think after witnessing such hysteria over and over again, it would eventually fade into the back of one's mind much like the everyday din of life; however, nobody could ever get used to this. This crowd acted more like a deranged group of animals than Japan's elite watching a kendo tournament, granted this "kendo tournament" was more like a festival anyway.

Kaoru lowered her bokken and relaxed her stance now that the battle was over. As she made her way over to the fallen man, ensuring that he was relatively ok, her mind swirled and blurred his face together with all the others over the past week. So far she had fought more than 100 fights in seven days. The word exhausting did not begin to describe how her body and mind felt. Her only real luck so far was that most of the opponents held little skill, or had let their skills waste away with time. Kaoru though, had spent the years perfecting her father's techniques; past battles and the threat of future ones sharpened her "blade" in blood. Each cut she received, each cut her friends received, each cut Kenshin received drove her to become stronger; to prevent it from happening ever again. Every fight came with a price though; whether victory was attained easily or not, each battle etched a lingering guilt and sadness deeper into her eyes. She could finally empathize with the gaze her husband held. The Kamiya style wasn't born to be flaunted within an arena; it was created to break the spirits of once proud warriors.

For every fight Fukuki insisted her hair be pulled up in a high ponytail; demanded she dress in the customary muted white/grey hakama and indigo kimono that her patrons had come to expect. She was heralded as the second coming of the Hitokiri Battousai, minus this small inconsequential thing called death. Her captor Fukuki definitely liked to up-sell the link between the two; he said it brought in larger crowds. Kaoru believed that he liked to remind her of what he planned for her future; to kill crush her soul before he crushed her body. The fact that each time she donned the costume her heart ached for her family and cried for her husband's pain born from the dark times this outfit represented probably only added to his pleasure. She suspected to the audience, it was all the same. As long as she won, she appeared strong and unbeatable much like her husband; it didn't matter that comparing their skills was like comparing the light of a night star to the morning sun. The fact that she didn't practice battojutsu seemed to matter none as well. The audience ate up the spectacle hook line and sinker.

" _In the end, the publicity will only help,_ " Kaoru thought. " _Even on another island, the knowledge of exhibition fights featuring the wife of the famed Hitokiri Battousai will spread throughout Japan._ " However, she knew that if she had figured this out, she had to assume that Fukuki had as well. He may be cruel, but he hadn't shown himself to be stupid. " _What purpose did alerting Kenshin to her location serve him? Kenshin clearly couldn't defeat Fukuki in his current state, so he posed no real danger. Is this truly just a grudge between Fukuki and her Father? Did Fukuki want to crush Kenshin again, hoping that watching her husband die would only further his revenge?"_ This was a real possibility; however, there was one large flaw in his plan. Kenshin wasn't above asking for help. He might not be the fighter he once was, but Aoshi hadn't lost an ounce of skill. Kaoru doubted she saw the depth of Fukuki's skills yet, but it was still hard to imagine that anyone but Kenshin could defeat the ice-like ninja. Yahiko and Sano also shouldn't be taken lightly. If Fukuki only single mindedly cared about his revenge towards Kaoru, would he have bothered to research everyone associated with her and their depth of power?

Kaoru shook her head clear and carefully eyed her surroundings; her father would have made her do 1000 strikes if he knew her mind was wandering. She should remain diligent, especially now; here, she was always in danger. As her gaze ran over the field, she noticed that her current opponent was now being removed from the field. Spectators were coming and going from the stands (it was disturbing how their whole lives seemed centered around fights and food,) and Fukuki was staring at her intently as Thing One whispered something into his ear.

That disturbing smirk of his quickly manifested itself as he calmly stood and walked to the front of his palatial viewing box. "Ladies and Gentlemen! I am pleased to announce a Special Exhibition match to conclude our evening!"

Kaoru glared up at him from the center of the ring. He smiled right back in his annoyingly piercing way; it was quite foreboding. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see murmuring erupting through the crowd. This match was not on the planned roster.

"Our next fighter is a true warrior. Don't miss this fight of the ages. Watch as the wife of the Battousai defends her title against a man that bested the Hitokiri Battousai years ago! The battle will start in 10 minutes. Place your bets now, because you will not want to miss this!"

Kaoru ground her teeth as she marched off to her holding "pen". It was a small, unfurnished cell along the edge of the arena. The opponent's was located on the opposite side to hers. Once inside, the doors facing the arena slammed shut behind her while the bars in front trapped her in. It was the custom to seal her off within the confines of this small room between matches. Fukuki seemed to appreciate fanfare, and Kaoru surmised that forcing her to parade out at the beginning of the match was all part of the act. It also took away any advantage she might form from catching an advanced glimpse of the opponent. Kaoru suspected that the true reason for the holding cell was to cut off any escape attempt. She noticed almost immediately that after a match, chaos formed in the arena as patrons left to collect refreshments, winnings, and fresh air. After the match, no one paid any attention to the ring and who was coming and going from it. It would have been a perfect environment for escape. The bars constant reminder that she was still a prisoner was a bonus she surmised.

For a few quiet moments she sat still in the center of the room, eyes closed, legs crossed, hands on her knees, and bokken placed across her lap. Her father always taught her that focusing one's attention before a fight was important. In the stillness of the room, you could make out her slight breathing, the din of the noise from the arena, and the faint, "drip, drip, drip" of water seeping out of the dank ceiling and onto the moldy floor.

"Gah!" She shot up in one swift motion, accidentally sending her bokken flying across the room. "How is anyone supposed to focus like this? Tell me Father! How am I supposed to clear my mind with so many questions? Why change the program now? Who could this mysterious opponent be? Is he here by coincidence or did he follow the rumors straight to me? Is he seeking amusement or revenge? Did he really beat Kenshin years ago, and if so, how in the name of the Gods am I supposed to beat him? Huh Dad? You got me into this lovely mess, GET ME THE HELL OUT OF IT!"

The labored breaths from her emotional outburst stormed around the room as Kaoru's energy quickly deflated. She tiredly walked over to the corner and retrieved her bokken from the floor. Dusting it off and inspecting it for damage; she apologized to whoever was listening for treating her weapon in such a way. "No answer huh? Guess I shouldn't have expected anything else."

"They say talking to yourself is a sign of mental instability Kaoru-chan; however, talking to dead people… that is never a good sign my child."

"I am not your child Fukuki," Kaoru managed to grind out in some semblance of a calm demeanor.

"Yet you always insist upon acting like one. You know, if you just behaved yourself, things would be so much easier for all of us."

Kaoru could see Fukuki lurking in the shadows of the hall behind her cell. He seemed to prefer stalking around the periphery of her senses. Maybe he thought it unsettled her, though she had long sense gotten used to it. She almost laughed at the thought that he might actually be a bit scared of her. "I am behaving. I think my behavior is perfectly befitting an unwilling captive don't you? Your behavior is the one to be questioned. The last time I checked kidnapping wasn't exactly indicative of proper behavior; it certainly isn't the behavior of anyone with honor.

"Attacking my honor won't get you anywhere Kaoru-chan. I lost it all years ago at your own father's hands. And besides, I distinctively remember you volunteering to come with me."

Kaoru's glare was one that would have sent the boys back home fleeing for their lives as she whispered out her response. "We both know that you would have taken me regardless. My volunteering only saved more blood from being spilled."

Fukuki shrugged nonchalantly, "And a sad thing that was. It is all semantics my dear; in the end, you did volunteer and that small fact matters. Because, instead of being "kidnapped" as you so put it, you abandoned your friends, your husband, your school, your dignity, and your honor all willingly. You left them all behind to use your Father's idealistic style to crush honorable and innocent men in a game of sport. To me, the difference matters little, but to you, I think it is safe to assume that the difference is of critical importance. You my dear, played right into my hand." Then as he turned and quietly moved into the shadows and away from the cell he called out one last time, "I hope you enjoy the next match my dear. Let's see how far your father's teachings get you this time."

A large wave of despair descended upon her as she realized the truth to his words. This whole time she thought that she had done the right thing. She had saved her husband, her son, and her friends. She thought that she was fighting, and on some level in her defiance, was winning. Now she realized that everything was useless from the moment she had betrayed Kenshin and stepped straight into Fukuki's trap. In her current situation, she had almost no hope of escape; she could only pray for a miracle. She had betrayed everything; every fight was another nail in the coffin, and now there was no one to blame but herself. She hadn't trusted in Kenshin to protect them, she hadn't trusted in herself to protect Kenshin. She gave up and hoped for a second chance, not realizing that she wouldn't be the same person even if she did return. She was a bird trapped in a very small cage, and the darkness of night was settling in all around her, closing her in even further. If this kept up, she really would lose. Not even she could stand firm under this strain forever; sooner or later, her mind and body would break. The only question now, is which would go first?

As the large, heavy bars lifted before her and she stepped into the blinding light and deafening roar of the arena, one simple prayer/plea was whispered from her lips, "Daddy…"

"And as always, here comes our champion, Kamiya Kaoru! Which one of these two great warriors will stand victorious tonight! Which will truly claim Battousai's title as the strongest!"

As the announcer's voice bounced around the arena, Kaoru blinked a few times to clear her vision until it became adjusted to the light once again. It was standard procedure to bring her out after the contender had already been introduced. Normally, she preferred it this way; somehow, it made it easier when she didn't know the names of the men she had defeated. With this contender though, she wasn't sure that she appreciated the ambiguity anymore.

He stood politely at the other end of the arena, almost like he was in a park rather than getting ready for a brutal fight. He was no taller than her, and their ages seemed close as well. His dark, chin length hair outlined his fair face with an almost feminine quality. His features almost made him appear child-like in Kaoru's opinion. However, it was his face that painted an almost disturbing quality to the image. The smile he adorned was empty, and most definitely fake. He seemed totally empty, a shell with a sword, except if you looked into his eyes. It was in his eyes that Kaoru could find the hint of slight interest. Kaoru supposed that to a normal person, his expression would seem genuine enough, but she had married Kenshin and was used to slightly hollow smiles.

At the announcer's command, both fighters made their way to the center of the ring in preparation for the match. After the customary bow, both she and the mystery man placed themselves into their formal battle stance.

"It is good to see that you are well Kamiya-San; I am sure that Himura-San and the others would be glad."

Kaoru's grip on her bokken tightened as unease shivered through her, "Who are you?"

"Sojiro Seta, but you might know me better as Sojiro then Tenken," he said with a wink.

Then as the starting bell rung, all that was left before her was the after image of Sojiro, as he all but disappeared before her.


	16. Chapter 16

"Thump….thump…thump.. " went the medium sized grey stone as it violently skipped down the dusty earth toned street; the black shoe clad foot, which initiated the entire event, lifted up to repeat the process.

"Three weeks," grunted the surly voice.

"Thump" went the next stone as it too followed the prior down the road.

"THREE WEEKS!"

The third stone was kicked up directly into his waiting hand; crushed into nothing but dust.

"How does someone disappear for three weeks! No word, no whisper, no sign! Especially someone like the Battousai's wife? Just nothing!"

Sano stopped in the middle of the road and sighed, "Where the hell did ya go Jo-chan?"

"MEN!...MEN!...MEN!"

"Good. Pay attention to the angle of your swords."

Sano's attention was drawn towards the nearby dojo. In the growing heat of the day, the gate and shoji screens were open. As his gaze was transfixed on the students learning the art of Kenjutsu, looking more through them than at them, his mind was transported to another time.

_He could hear the hushed sounds of training coming from the dojo. Knowing that Kenshin was recovering and Yahiko was asleep meant it could only be one person. Leisurely strolling over to the door and sliding it open, his suspicions were confirmed as Kaoru diligently worked on a complicated kata in the middle of the floor._

" _Bit late ain't it Jo-chan?"_

" _Gah!"_

_Kaoru jumped almost a mile into the air, the unexpected voice obviously startling her._

" _Are you an idiot Sano! Don't! Ever! Do! That!" Kaoru ground out between her teeth as she brought her free hand up to grasp at her racing heart._

" _Sorry."_

_The smirk on his face clearly stated otherwise._

_Kaoru released a long breath in an effort to calm herself down. "Seriously, Why aren't you asleep Sano?"_

_Sano casually leaned against the open door, the cooler evening breeze drifting into the warmer dojo. Crossing his arms, he pinned Kaoru with a probing stare. "Could say the same to you missy."_

" _I am clearly just practicing. Even you could deduce that."Her expression clearly stated that she was bringing his limited intelligence into question._

_Sano pushed himself off the doorway with his right leg and slowly sauntered to the center of the room, stopping just inches in front of Kaoru. She would never, ever admit to him that his penetrating gaze and looming size un-nerved her slightly._

" _Ya, I could. Question is why? Most people don't pick the middle of the night to practice ya know."_

_Kaoru huffed and turned on her heals, marching towards the weapons wall to place her bokken in its proper place; she obviously wasn't getting anywhere else tonight._

_Sano stood in the center of the dojo and watched as Kaoru bowed towards the alter before leaving and sitting on the edge of the engawa._

" _I couldn't sleep," the disembodied voice stated as she turned her gaze up towards the full moon._

_Sano took a seat next to her, his back leaning against the closest support beam and one leg hanging over the edge. His other leg was bent at the knee with his left arm resting across it; his signature bone hanging lazily from the corner of his mouth as he too turned his head towards the night sky._

_Kaoru briefly wondered where the hell that bone even came from, they didn't even have fish tonight!_

" _His nightmares return?"_

_He didn't need to explain; they both knew who he was talking about and to what he was referring to._

" _No. He is resting peacefully."_

" _Hunh," acknowledge Sano._

" _They have not returned since he woke up. It seems that his mind can rest now that he knows we are all back safe."_

_Silence hung in the air with unspoken words; one trying to collect her thoughts and the other patiently waiting._

_After a few minutes, it was Sano who broke the silence first, "So you got them instead?"_

_Startled, Kaoru turned her attention towards him, "NO!...Yes….It's complicated I guess."_

" _No it ain't, you're just making it."_

_Kaoru chuckled slightly, "I guess so. No, I haven't been having nightmares, my mind just won't rest."_

_Sano patiently waited for her to continue as she turned her gaze back to the heavens, her eyes were now miles away in silent reflection._

" _I guess I am practicing because I am frustrated. I want to stand by Kenshin's side, yet I am always behind. I don't possess his strength with the sword, nor your strength with your fists, and I don't even seem to possess Yahiko's strength of heart. Kenshin trusts both of you to fight by his side, yet I am always watching from behind. I am not strong enough to stand by his side, and that fact pains me. This time, it cost everyone, especially Kenshin, so much. I feel guilt for what he went through. If I had been able to protect myself, if I had been as strong as I pretend to be, than he wouldn't have gone through so much pain. My inability to stop Enishi cost everyone so much; there is no one to blame but myself. I promised myself that I would not be killed because Kenshin would never forgive himself; however, when it came down to it, I did not survive on my own merit."_

_Kaoru turned a slightly haunting yet fiercely determined glare through Sano, as if willing his very soul to understand. "I am the Assistant Master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. My father has been gone for almost a full year; it is about time to assume my proper place as full Master. I must become stronger. I will never again allow Kenshin, and those I love, to go through such pain again. I will no longer be the victim of others. I will prove to him, and myself, that I can stand by his side in all things. I want to support him, but mostly I want to protect him. I want to protect him from others, from his past, and from himself."_

_She calmly turned her head away, gazing at nothing in particular it seemed. "So there is your answer, I am training Sano."_

_The two sat in companionable silence for a while, each pondering over what was said. Mostly Sano was giving Kaoru time to settle after bearing so much._

" _For someone so smart, you're pretty dumb missy."_

_Her response was a glare, "Excuse me…"_

" _None of us ever blamed you for not stopping Enishi. Kaoru, Kenshin could barely fend off that crazy kid's attacks, how were you supposed to? Enishi was out of his mind; had a total disregard to everything but his revenge. No matter how strong you were missy, you could have never stood up to Enishi."_

_Kaoru's glare did not lighten up one bit; as a matter of fact, he was pretty sure he saw her reach subconsciously for a bokken. "Are you saying that I am incapable of becoming strong enough to fight the likes of him?"_

" _Alright, Alright! Calm down. Not quite what I meant, but we'll continue onto point B. Damn hot-headed raccoon." Sano quickly ducked away from the fist that came flying towards his nose._

" _Kenshin keeps you behind him because he knows that is where you are safest. He only fights with us because he knows he doesn't have a choice; also because he realizes that he can't do everything alone, no one can. Most importantly though, while our loss would probably upset him, you Kaoru are the one person that he can't live without. He protects you above all others because to protect you is to protect himself, it's self preservation. You could easily be just as strong as him, and he would still force you behind him; he is simply incapable of taking any sort of risk with you."_

_Sano smiled as he could see the message sinking in a bit, "Wanting to be strong is good, just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. Become strong for your style, for Yahiko who still requires training, for your own self satisfaction, and to protect the things you love, not out of guilt. Staying up late and wearing yourself down won't help Kenshin, it'll only worry him missy."_

_Sano easily got up and offered Kaoru a hand, pulling her up on her feet._

" _What-cha up to now Missy?" Sano inquired as Kaoru made her way back to the training hall._

_Kaoru turned her head over her shoulder towards Sano, "Regardless of Kenshin's reality Sano, I still cannot sleep. I might as well be productive."_

_She could hear him chuckle as he shook his head and walked off into the night, signature smirk on his face. She peered at him quizzically, "Where are you going now?"_

" _To sleep! I told ya, it's late Missy!"_

Reality slowly shifted back into focus as the memory faded back into the shadows of the past. Sano continued to watch the practicing students for a few more seconds as he waited for his head to settle.

As he set off again, another pebble felt the ire of his pent up frustration. As it skipped violently down the street, a small plum of dust rising up from around his foot, Sano resumed his self musings aloud. "Well Missy, you certainly became stronger while I was gone, but it seems you didn't listen to a word I said. Just look at the mess you're in this time…"  
…

"This…..Is…..Impossible!" muttered the exhausted speaker quietly. Kaoru was dancing all around the arena with Sojiro. Her bokken, held together by a mere thread, was all that stood between her and defeat, or possible death; Kaoru was sure the only thing currently saving it was its metal core. It took everything she had to simply defend against the ridiculously fast attacks. This man could easily be faster than Kenshin was in his prime. How did he ever manage to beat this freak?

She had the distinct feeling that Sojiro was clearly holding back, almost like he was testing her, playing with her; however, she couldn't ascertain his possible motive behind it. It was incredibly frustrating. She knew from the beginning that it would take a miracle to win this match; she possessed no delusions of grandeur regarding her skills. While her training allowed her to fight on par with most swordsmen, she would never lie to herself; she learned from Kenshin, her father, and life that no benefit was gained from overestimating your abilities and underestimating your enemies'. Kaoru knew that she could never defeat swordsmen on Kenshin's level; hell, she could barely beat Yahiko now (and she had to begrudgingly admit that she didn't always win).

As the two continued their complicated, spiraling, acrobatic dance around the arena, it was clear that the undefeated wife of the Battousai was tiring; meanwhile The Tenken appeared as though he was simply taking an afternoon stroll rather than participating in an intense kendo fight. " _I don't get it_?" thought Kaoru. " _I know I'm not this good. There has been at least two times that he could have "killed" me; however, I don't even have a single scratch! What game is this guy playing_?"

Kaoru made sure to never take her eyes off Sojiro; she monitored his every movement as he gave her an obvious moment to catch her breath. She really wished she could wipe that increasingly annoying smirk off his disturbingly cute face. She had obviously spent way too much time away from her family...

"Well Kaoru-San, shall we end this?" inquired Sojiro as he got in his Shukuchi stance.

"I thought you would never ask," replied Kaoru.

"I am sorry Kaoru-San, but I will have to use full speed."

She didn't bother to respond to that startling revelation; she poured all of her concentration into this next attack.

As her body slammed into the arena wall like a rag doll, Kaoru's semi conscious mind struggled to comprehend what just happened. As the clouds in her mind slowly started to ebb away, she could hear the hushed awe of the audience erupt into cheers and applause. She slowly and painstakingly started to take inventory of the damage as she struggled to sit up against the wall. The obvious dull radiating pain blossoming across her abdomen and chest meant that Sojiro must have struck her with the backside of his sword; that could be the only possible reason why she was still alive. She didn't bother to wonder why he would do such a thing now, that would have to come later. Sojiro's attack was so quick, even her trained eyes couldn't register the strike until it was too late to react. The next thing she knew, her body was slamming against the wall.

Out of the corners of her eyes she could make out Sojiro's form walking towards her position. She stared at him warily as he came to a stop in front of her, offering her his outstretched hand.

"I am quite sorry Kaoru-San. Thank you for the match," and in that short moment his smile seemed to turn quite genuine to her.

She gingerly stood up with his help and side by side they made their way to the center of the ring, stopping in front of the delighted Fukuki. The deafening cheers slowly ebbed away as Fukuki stretched out his hands.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! What an amazing match Sojiro-Kun! Fame and riches shall be your reward my boy!"

Sojiro bowed towards his benefactor, showing him a level of respect and honor that made Kaoru's skin crawl with disgust. "Thank you Tamake-San; however, it is neither fame nor riches that I want sir."

Fukuki glanced at Sojiro quizzically and somewhat skeptically, "Than tell me what it is that you desire, and I shall consider it."

Sojiro straightened himself as he looked Fukuki directly in the eyes and replied simply, "You, Sir."


	17. Chapter 17

A thin, cool mist covered the walls of the cell, mirroring the chilly outside morning. A quiet, raven haired figure huddled in the corner, shivering slightly against the cold, wet walls. Her right arm was wrapped around her chest in a protective fashion; her body was still very sore from the prior day's intense fight, but it seemed that she didn't receive any severe internal injuries. Exhaustion was evident.

"I could probably sleep for a week; if only my head would stop pounding." Kaoru groaned as she turned and placed her forehead against the cool wall for comfort.

As she sat there, with the few streams of early morning light that managed to work its way through the window, she reflected on her fight with Sojiro. She didn't quite understand what he was doing here. Was he here to kill Fukuki? Surely someone of his strength wouldn't bother serving under him? Or did he miss serving someone, anyone who appeared powerful? Money? It was a mystery; and since she didn't have anything better to do, she found herself consumed by it. Why was he so easy on her? It was evident that he could have killed her; yet with all of her bruises, and possibly a cracked rib or two, he didn't cut her once. It almost seemed as though he genuinely enjoyed the fight. It was maddening! Being in a situation where your life relied heavily on the fickle whims of another was bad enough, adding unknown variables to the mix somehow just made it seem worse. She would have to figure out Sojiro's intentions before she could try to plan some sort of escape. His allegiances would come into account if she were to succeed.

Her thought process was derailed as she heard quiet footsteps making their way down the rows of empty cells towards her. Kaoru reached out for her bokken; it was never far from her. Slowly, tenderly raising herself, she got into a defensive stance; she peered through the shadows towards the approaching figure.

"Good Morning Kaoru-San."

Sojiro bowed towards her in a friendly greeting. Kaoru could see the distinct image of a package being held in his arms as he came back up. He still had that smile on his face that was half hallow and half genuine. Kaoru was used to that smile; it was Kenshin's old smile. The smile of one who couldn't really find happiness from the bottom of their heart. She held that same smile many times in the past. She found it a bit odd that a smile could make her homesick.

"May I come in Kaoru-San?"

Kaoru cocked her head to the side slightly; she found it more than a bit surprising that he would ask permission to come it. Looking at the bokken still griped firmly in her hands she thought, " _Perhaps he simply doesn't want to be clocked over the head."_

Kaoru's stance was still tense and showed no signs of relaxing just yet, so Sojiro tried again, steadfast in his friendly manner.

"You have nothing to fear from me Kaoru-san."

It was only after a careful visual inspection that she could see the truth in his statement; he was unarmed! A Samurai was never without a weapon; it was truly a sign of trust for him to offer to enter a cell unarmed while she clearly was not.

Kaoru relaxed her stance and returned to her straw covered corner to rest, bokken still in hand. It was the only sign of welcoming that he would get; so Sojiro slowly opened the door and closed it behind him. He presented the package to her. As he unwrapped the bundle, she realized that it contained medical supplies. "Would you allow me to treat your wounds?" At her quizzical and skeptical look, he continued, "It is the least I could do considering I was the one who gave them to you, is it not?"

"Why are you here?"

Sojiro's gently smiling expression never changed and he calmly waited where he was. He answered her question in quiet, soothing tones, almost like someone talking to a frightened animal. Kaoru guessed that the analogy wasn't too far off considering the circumstances.

"As I told you Kaoru-San, I am here simply to treat your wounds. I'm sure Fukuki-sama wouldn't want his prized fighter to be out of commission for too long."

Kaoru scowled at the insulation that she was merely an object that required maintenance and repair.

"No." she stated firmly. She had the distinct feeling that he knew exactly what she meant and purposefully dodged the question. "What are you of all people, doing here? What do you want with that man? What could possibly be in it for you? If you simply wanted him dead, you would not bother going through all of this."

His head bowed ever so slightly as he answered, Kaoru wasn't sure what that meant. "I have my reasons Kaoru-San."

When she shifted her gaze back to the filtered light from the window, Sojiro took this opportunity to approach Kaoru the rest of the way and kneeled down in front of her.

"Kaoru-san, I will need you to remove your shirt."

When Sojiro noticed her grip on the bokken tense and shift, he immediately threw his hands up in surrender; dropping the medical supplies all over the floor. "Now, now Kaoru-san. I only mean so that I can assess and treat your injuries."

His look was almost comical; a mixture of surprise, worry, and amusement painted on his young face. It was the first time she had seen him without that annoyingly hallow smile. With his arms thrown up in the air, and that look on his face, he reminded her so much of Kenshin that it hurt; however, the entire scene was just too funny. With the sudden break in tension, she couldn't prevent it from escaping her; for the first time since her captivity, she found herself laughing. If only a little; it was still such a strange and foreign sound to hear come from her lips these days.

"It is nice to hear you in such good spirits Kaoru-san, even if it is at my expense. But seriously, I do need to assess your wounds."

Kaoru didn't feel comfortable removing her shirt completely, so she simply opened it up enough to allow Sojiro access to her injuries and back.

As Sojiro slowly started the process of appraising her wounds, a small gasp escaped his lips. He was appalled at the sheer number of wounds, both new and old that covered her small frame. It was obvious to him that no one had bothered to treat any of them before. To come through all of that without any serious injuries was a testament to her skill and sheer will to live. The words left his lips before he even registered what he was truly saying, "Kaoru-san, I'm sorry."

And she could tell from his soft spoken voice, and the way his hand hovered just over her yellow and purple painted body, that he really was. "Don't, Sojiro. The old ones weren't from you anyway."

He nodded his head in acknowledgement and silently began his work treating her battered body. He wrapped her ribs, put salve on her bruises, and gave her a medicinal tea for the aches and pains.

As he began to pack his things in the box he brought them in, Kaoru couldn't help but ask one more time.

"Sojiro, why are you really here?"

It was then that he looked at her, really looked at her, and their eyes connected in that mystical way that everything is said, and nothing is said at all. The way that allows someone to peer into your very soul and peruse the depths of your being. He struggled to peel away from her piercing gaze before she laid all of his secrets out bare for all to see. It was a struggle, because while she was searching his eyes for answers, he could see so much in hers as well. He found himself mesmerized by the understanding in them, the gentleness, and the strength. They were the eyes of someone that had seen so much in one lifetime, yet remained pure.

He quietly turned around and re-locked the cell on his way out. When he was far enough down the hall, he simply turned his head slightly in her direction as he answered, "For the same reason you are Kaoru-san, because I chose to be here."

And with that, he left.  
…

The nights and days strung together in a blurring reality; no longer did terms like Monday, April, or 4 p.m. matter. If time is relative to an individual's point of view, then Yahiko's reality centered on a singular dimension of time: one month, 4 weeks, 31 days, 744 hours. Yahiko's sense of time was relative and directly related to the day Kaoru had gone missing.

It was hard to put into words how her continued disappearance affected him, so Yahiko didn't try. What use were words anyway? Words won't bring her back. Granted, he begrudgingly had to admit, action didn't seem to be helping much either. All he did anymore was teach and search, lessons and interrogations. After weeks of searching, he only managed to learn everything that he never wanted to know and nothing of what he did. Whoever this Fukuki is, he is like a ghost; no one so far had heard anything of either him or Kaoru. It didn't help that all of his best informants were now out of the area. Aoshi and Misao had gone back to Kyoto; they claimed they could "hear" more at the heart of the Oniwabanshu. Saito had been stationed in Hokkaido years ago and never bothered to keep touch (not that anyone expected him to). Yahiko's only real lead was the train robberies; however, those stopped around the same time as Kaoru's disappearance. There had to be a connection there, but the trail had sense run cold as best he could tell.

He had long since figured that he should simply trust Aoshi and Misao to figure it out, but he just couldn't sit around and do nothing! Considering the number of bruises that Sano kept coming home with, he guessed that he was having the same luck. Sano was determined to get Kaoru back, even if he had to fight the Earth herself to drag Kaoru home. Neither of them would really be "ok" again until their make-shift family was once again whole. On the few rare nights that they were both at the dojo, they would share drinks in silence and look up at the stars without really "seeing" any of them. Words weren't really required, and what would they say anyway, platitudes were for the women.

So here he found himself again, on his way back to the dojo for afternoon lessons, in much the same place he was 31 days ago. The harsh noon sun cast a bright glare over the horizon as Yahiko made his way down the dusty Tokyo road; he could just make out the familiar figure of Yutaro in the distance. He appeared to be draping himself over the side of the bridge, overlooking the river. His body was a bit stiff, and his eyes were fixed on the far off horizon.

Yahiko changed course slightly and began his quiet, lazy approach. When he was just a few steps away, he reached for his bokken and brought it down firmly upon Yutaro's head, "WHAM!"

Yutaro's reaction was sudden and instinctual. He turned around towards the left on his heal, bending his body slightly at the knees while bringing his left arm up to block against any further attacks. As his arm brushed up against the bamboo sword, his hand rotated, latching onto the offending thing and yanked it from Yahiko's arm. At the same time, his right hand was moved towards his attacker's face in a right hook. It was only when his fist was inches from Yahiko did he register who he was attacking and halt his onslaught.

"What the Hell man! What was that for!"

For his own merit, Yahiko didn't flinch once during Yutaro's counter attack. He actually stood there smugly the entire time, with a slight grin plastered on his mug. "It's your fault for leaving yourself open! You're lucky it was only me, Kaoru would have done worse"

A slight shiver ran up both boys spines at the thought.

It only took a moment for the harsh reality of that simple statement to sink in. Yutaro glumly turned back towards the water as he spit out his terse reply, "Yeah, well she isn't here is she."

Yahiko shot a frown at the back of Yutaro's head., He then turned around to lean his back against the bridge railing, propping his elbows up along the edge and casting his eyes towards the sky. He waited in calm silence for Yutaro to speak first; it seemed like he was the one with a bone to pick anyway.

" I'm always missing."

Yahiko cocked his head in his friend's direction, confusion clearly expressed. "Say again?"

"I'M ALWAYS MISSING YAHIKO! During Shishio, and Enishi, and even Fukuki; I wasn't there. I'm never there. How am I supposed to protect anyone if I'm never there to protect them?"

Yahiko shrugged his shoulders in response; it was a natural reaction, even if Yutaro couldn't see it. "Kenshin was there, and even he couldn't protect her. Kaoru didn't want to be protected. She chose to go with Fukuki. You can't protect someone when they don't want to be protected."

Yutaro's responding glare could melt ice, "That's bull and you know it."

"Maybe, maybe not. Look man, I at least know this. You can't protect Kaoru when she doesn't want to be protected. That woman has all off the sheer force and stubborn defiance of a typhoon, and is a whole lot scarier to boot."

Yutaro couldn't stop the laugh that escaped through his lips, "I almost feel sorry for the idiot that took her."

Yahiko shook his head in amusement, "No kidding. Can you imagine a guy stupid enough to try to boss that woman around? Even the world's strongest swordsman is scared of her!"

The laughter slowly died until Yutaro broke the silence, "Still, what good is the Kamiya Kasshin ryu if I can't use it to protect her? She has done so much for me over the years you know? Why can't I do this one thing for her?"

Yahiko took his bokken and proceeded to clock Yutaro over the head with it, albeit it more gently this time.

"Hey!"

Yahiko made sure that Yutaro was looking directly into his eyes as he responded,

"For such an amazing swordsman, you sure are dense sometimes. Kaoru has done a lot of things for a lot of people. She has only wanted one thing out of you in return Yutaro. She doesn't want protection; she wants you to grow into a good man, a strong man, and most of all, a happy man. You re-pay her every time you teach the Kamiya Kasshin ryu. By passing along the lessons that she has passed onto you, you keep her father alive. That is more than enough for her.

Now you listen to me well Yutaro. Kaoru teaches you because she wants you to protect others, to protect yourself, but more importantly, it is Kaoru's own way of protecting you. She doesn't want us to throw ourselves into battles for her; she has never wanted that. Just look at all of the times she has tried to shield Kenshin from battle. She throws herself into harm's way to protect him from not only from physical harm, but to save his soul from further heartache as well. She knows that he is to gentle for this life. All she has ever wanted was to protect us from all of the pains of the world. If Kaoru had her way, I suspect that not one of us would have to fight; she would be content to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders alone. When she teaches us, she not only provides us the physical tools to keep ourselves safe, but the emotional strength to carry onto the next day. It is Kaoru's way of ensuring her family survives no matter what.

Kaoru is the strongest person I have ever known. She carries all of our pains in her heart so that we are never forced to carry them alone, and she bears them all with a smile. Her strength provides us a safe place to grow, a home for Sano, a family for Megumi, a sister for Misao, redemption for Aoishi, and a soul for Kenshin. She has never judged any of us. Her desire to protect is ingrained into every fiber of her body. She wants to stand on the front lines with us and help to carry our loads, to protect us from the world. Acting like she should be shoved into the shadows and protected is an insult to the strength she has supported us with for all of these years."

Yutaro was quiet, contemplative as he thought over what his friend had said. Yahiko just patiently waited for him to try to sort it all out.

"So what, we just forget it, leave her to figure it out? Forget about her? What do we do then?" Yutaro turned his head towards Yahiko, waiting for the response, the answer.

Yahiko pushed himself off of the wall and continued down the street. As he neared the end of the bridge, he stopped for a moment and spoke clearly over his left shoulder for Yutaro to hear, "We keep teaching. We keep living. And we keep looking. Simply because she is foolish enough to throw everything away to protect us, doesn't mean that we can't stop her. But there is a difference in protecting a comrade, and protecting anyone else. Kaoru isn't a weak damsel in distress that needs us to run to her rescue. She is our Master of the Kamiya Kasshin ryu, and our comrade. Remember the difference."

And as Yahiko continued onto his afternoon class, the sun shifting lower and lower into the horizon, he left Yutaro by the bridge to let everything sink in. However, as he continued his march towards the dojo, he couldn't' help the final phrase that was whispered out of his mouth in an almost growl, "And so help me god Kaoru, when you get home, you are going to get it as well. It is about damn time you rely on our strength as comrades as well."


	18. Chapter 18

He really didn't understand what he was still doing here. He loathed everything about this place; the corrupt government and the corrupt people it "protected." He hated the way everyone kept smiling at him; how they continued living their lives unaware of the aching hole left in the universe with "her" loss. He abhorred how time moved forward; how it didn't stop on that bloody wintery night for everyone else the way it did for him. And after "that woman", he could no longer take comfort in fact that at least if time was going to continue marching ever on, never ending, it was leading everyone to their eventual destruction as well. She somehow changed everything, and yet nothing at the same time.

Just the same, he couldn't seem to bring himself to abandon Japan; this rotten country that cost his sister her life. The home where his sister had bled and breathed her last in the arms of the red haired devil; however, and possibly more importantly, this is also the country where she had lived. It was in this country that she had nurtured him, loved him, loved Akira, and even loved "him." It was in this country that she had found both sorrow and joy; for all of its injustice, she had never abandoned it. Now he found himself unable to as well, and it was entirely because of her. It was as if her spirit was now holding him prisoner here; providing him peace and torment by her never ending presence. If only he could figure out why, maybe then they could both move on; though he didn't really want that outcome either.

So here he was, in the middle of some two bit gambling den, watching idiots placing bets on fights. It just proved his point that men were animals with an instinctual bloodlust. He wasn't quite sure why he still came to places such as this; he just seemed more at home with the dredges of society. After so many years of killing and black market dealing, he just didn't have a place in "normal" society anymore. Gambling halls and criminal shacks he understood; quaint family restaurants, not so much.

He decided to fade into the shadow of one of the columns surrounding the arena. He watched as a middle aged man of average height and decent build approach the edge of the presidential box. He was dressed in a black western style suit of obviously fine tailoring. When he spread his slightly stubby hands through the air, the crowds paid him heed. He was clearly the one in charge and the atmosphere itself changed as he addressed the audience.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you are prepared for an exciting evening. Our brave challengers are ready to face off against our champion, finally returned after her crushing defeat only a week ago. Is the wife of the famous Battousai ready to take back her crown, or was last week only a preview of her end? Place your final bets and find out now!"

A small huff of boredom escaped his lips as he took in the emerging challenger below. He was tall with above average muscles which were well defined; however, that is where any discernible advantage ended. The challenger lacked any real swordsman spirit; his skills were probably average at best. His large ego was obvious by how he carried himself to the center of the ring, standing in a rather lazy stance with his sword held limply in his right hand.

The mysterious breeze that blew across the enclosed arena should have been an omen of what was to come; it didn't stop him from almost choking on his own tongue though as the "champion" stepped through the shadows of her gate. It couldn't be her; he just couldn't fathom how it could really be her? Was this some kind of joke? People use the Battousai's name, and any possible forgeable relation, all across the nation, and this two-bit gambling den manages to pull out the real thing? How? Why? It made no sense why the one swords-woman in the world who believed in a non-killing sword, who taught a sword that protects rather than kills, is fighting for kicks miles away from home?

He spent so much time pondering on the circumstances of Kaoru's presence, that he missed the start of the match; the cheers of the overly enthusiastic crowd pulled him back to the arena. Kaoru held a defensive stance about 3 sword lengths away from the challenger, clearly guarding her mid-section. Less than a blink later, the challenger barreled towards her with raw unchecked power. His movements were large and bordering on the clumsy side, appearing as though he prefers to use his superior strength to counter the obvious lack of skills. His swing came from overhead swift with force; however, Kaoru was ready and easily side stepped the attack to his now open right. Her skilled attack to his ribs caused him to buckle slightly, but there seemed to be a lack of power in her attack. The spectator surmised her ribs might be injured based on how she was still closely guarding her mid-section.

The contender howled as he shifted into a horizontal strike; however, he didn't compensate for his towering height. Kaoru easily ducked underneath the wild attack; bringing the hilt of her bokken up straight into his lower jaw with her rebound. As he staggered backwards, she brought the tip of her bokken down across his face. As his hands reflexively reached for his injured face; she finished the fight with a sharp thrust to his sternum.

Once the cheers from the audience died down, the man from the box nodded his head in affirmation towards Kaoru. With that, she skulked back into the shadows from whence she came. The curious on-looker took a few more moments to study his surroundings before he too quietly slipped out.  
…...

A lone figure sat in the shadows of the corner, head resting against the wall in a vain attempt to gaze out of the small grimy solitary window. She wasn't quite balled into herself, but she wasn't exactly relaxed either. The leg closest to the wall was stretched out on the hay, while her other was bent towards her chest with both hands wrapped securely around it.

It was a bit disturbing to Kaoru that this grungy hell hole of a cell was starting to feel like "home;" it was her respite away from the arena and all of the fighting. The moldy hay in the corner was now a welcomed bed; the grimy, small window was literally a ray of light in the dark; the cool wet walls were soothing to her still sore body. Many of her aches and bruises had healed since her fight with Sojiro a few days before, but her ribs would require more time.

The homesickness was crippling at times; her desire to see her friends and family threatened to leave her in a pit so deep that she feared she could never climb back out. She would steadily remind herself that she was here; fighting for them and their happiness, fighting for her happiness, for their eventual reunion and that would rejuvenate her inner fire. As long as she remembered what she was fighting for, her will could carry her through anything.

That being said, she had come to the realization that she couldn't simply escape; she would have to put an end to Fukuki. However, how do you put an "end" to anyone with a non-killing sword? To simply defeat him in battle would only allow him to come after her and her family again. She could try to escape and contact Saito; however, Fukuki would most likely disappear again by then. She also didn't really have a clue where Saito was. There is also the threat of what he will do to the citizens if she were to successfully escape, and successful escape is definitely an if. To date, the only half-assed plan that she had been able to formulate is to use her arena fights to hone her skills, and use her ears to collect valuable intell. At some point in the future, when the opportunity arose, she would use both against Fukuki. She wasn't sure when or exactly how, but she had faith.

At the moment, the largest outlier was Sojiro; Kaoru was sure that with training she could eventually defeat Fukuki; but Sojiro was a different story. He didn't seem aggressive, the first aid the other day was testament to that; however, that didn't mean that he was on her side. He volunteered to be here; she was coerced. Without knowing his motives, he was a player that was impossible to predict. Everything put together left Kaoru at one slightly depressing conclusion; she was going to be stuck here for a while until the picture became clearer. Acting any sooner could just leave her, or others, dead.

Kaoru shifted her head towards the shadows of the long hall, the lingering presence finally unnerving her enough to grace it with a response. "Hiding doesn't become you Fukuki. Come out."

She could hear the slight rustling of cloth as a body shifted and started walking closer to her. The fabric sounded harsher than Fukuki's normally fine soft linens but the shadows still cloaked its new friend. The presence stopped just one step shy of the light, lingering in the veil of darkness. "So is that's his name? I never expected you of all people to spend your days barking at the heels of a master. You disappoint me."

The breath instantly vanished from her lungs. She did not ever expect to hear that voice again; the voice of a ghost. She frequently prayed in secret for him over these last 6 long years; praying that he would finally find the inner peace that had eluded him for so long. She just never expected, she just couldn't imagine, she just didn't believe that she would ever see him again. The name escaped from her mouth unwillingly, in all but a whisper, "Enishi."

She slowly, gingerly stood and walked to the front of the cell, bokken still in hand, to get a better view of her visitor. As he finally stepped into the light, her first thought was that he hadn't changed at all. His tall, lanky frame still towered over; his stark white hair offset his blue/green eyes with just a hint of insanity. His lips were set into a neutral line with a slight hint of a disapproving frown; she wasn't quite sure what he was disappointed in though. He still wore his shades low on his nose, his eyes peering into hers from above the round metal rim. He held a simple wide black walking stick in his left hand; Kaoru would bet her life that it held a blade hidden within.

It was the audible scoff he released towards her that set her off against all best judgment.

"This isn't a zoo you know. If you only came to gawk and antagonize me, you'll have to get in line."

Enishi openly laughed as he stopped right in front of her cage. It wasn't a light-hearted chuckle, but a laugh of someone who pities the stupidity of others. Simply put, the condescending tone pissed her off.

"You sure fooled me Kamiya, oh I'm sorry, maybe it's Himura now? You fight for their amusement, live behind bars, and bow at your master's feet. How exactly is this not a zoo?"

"Because I would never bow at that cockroach's feet! Don't assume that you understand anything Enishi." Kaoru all but growled out from between her clenched teeth.

Enishi shifted his weight onto his left leg and leaned on the cell closest to him. He crossed his arms across his chest in a casual manner; the demeanor reminded her a bit of the rooster, all Enishi needed was the fish bone. For a brief moment Kaoru wondered if she would ever see him again, but only briefly.

"Then why don't you enlighten me on how the wife of the infamous Battousai ended up as the play thing of a petty gambling hall? What mess did the beast get you into this time? He seems to have problems keeping track of you."

Kaoru turned her back to him and faced the cell wall as she quietly uttered, "This isn't Kenshin's fault."

"Sure…."

"THIS ISN"T KENSHIN'S FAULT!" She whipped her body around again and clenched both hands by her side, bokken still held firmly in her right hand. "And he isn't a beast or the Battousai anymore!"

Minutes of silence passed between them, it was clear that Enishi was waiting for her to elaborate. The little ferret didn't seem to be in any rush, which was interesting since he was the one slinking around a prison uninvited. "This is my family's sin. This is the proprietor's revenge against the Kamiya line."

Enishi cocked an eyebrow up at her in slight disbelief, "And the Battousai just let you go?"

"Kenshin deserves peace. He shouldn't have to fight anymore. I am here because I wanted to spare him; this is my sin to atone for."

Enishi shoved himself off of the bars and sauntered forward until his hands rested on the bars of Kaoru's cage. The intensity of his eyes as they bore into hers forced her back a step. "No, it is your family's sin, not yours."

"Well, my father is dead. I think he has paid enough don't you?"

"Then that doesn't clarify what you are doing here?" he further queried.

"You of all people should understand that a thirst for revenge rarely follows a logical path. Fukuki was not the one who killed my father; his blood lust was not satiated. "

"So you fought me tooth and nail, but for this idiot, you volunteer like a lamb to slaughter. I think I should be offended."

"What are you doing here Enishi? Really?" Kaoru was becoming tired of playing 20 questions, especially when they revolved around such a sensitive topic.

"Not sure really." He shrugged noncommittally as he removed his hands from the bars and proceeded to cross them in front of him. "It isn't every day that you see the Battousai's woman fighting for kicks. Curiosity got the best of me."

She sighed and turned towards to her bed of hay, a lame attempt to dismiss the annoying gnat, when a cruel echoing laughter bounced off the walls startling Kaoru. She was so distracted by Enishi, that she missed the new presence. There wasn't any telling how long it had stood there, quietly in the dark, listening to the conversation.

A disembodied voice spoke as it slowly made its way up the long prison hall, "The English have this funny saying that I have come to appreciate over the years, 'Curiosity killed the cat,' or something to that effect.

Enishi calmly held his ground, taking in Kaoru's startled expression for a moment before turning to face the party crasher. He didn't miss the slight hint of fear in her eyes. "And you are?"

A wicked smile spread from ear to ear on the gentleman's face. He stopped a few arms lengths from Enishi; who strangely enough stood between him and Kaoru, almost protectively. He wondered if the white haired gentleman was even aware of it. "I am the master, as you so eloquently put it."

Enishi stood his ground as he stared down the strange gentleman. He was wearing the same formal black western suit from before; it was clearly meant to broadcast his self-important position to everyone around him. He carried a warrior's spirit underneath the mask of a businessman, granted yakuza would probably be a more fitting description. He held his chin high and what Enishi supposed was a decently imposing presence to most; he was obviously full of himself. The gentleman stood somewhere between Kaoru and himself in height; however, he was quite a bit wider. His muscles were formidable for his age, which must have been at least mid-40s; it was clear that he was a bit past his prime though. Enishi wasn't sure if this was simply because he had grown old, or lazy from his wealth; most likely, is was a combination of the two. Either way, Enishi wasn't overly impressed.

"You're not my master."

The feral grin didn't leave Fukuki's face as he responded in kind, "Not yet I suppose. Granted, you are currently standing in my prison, unwelcome, so I think the jury is still out on that ruling."

"If you didn't want anyone to visit the zoo, then you shouldn't keep such interesting pets."

"She is a real beauty isn't she? She has a fierce spark that eludes all others; I am enjoying the process of breaking it. She is a bit wild still, but all untamed mares break eventually, wouldn't you agree? The fact that she is the wife of the infamous Battousai is just a bonus," cooed Fukuki.

Enishi easily brushed off the slimy shiver that crept down his spine as Fukuki spoke; this guy was obviously a whole new bucket of crazy. Enishi decided to proceed with an err of caution; who knew what could set this time bomb off. That being said, he wasn't one to simply back down either.

"You do know that this particular mare is dangerous correct? Her stallion is one who cannot be conquered; he will come for her. Are you willing to risk your entire operation for one dame?"

Kaoru ground her teeth in frustration and let out a small audible huff; did these idiots forget that "she" was standing right here! How nice of them to talk about her as though she was furniture, or more accurately a horse. Kaoru wasn't sure which was worse. Her breath hitched and she paled considerably when Fukuki spoke again. It was an old wound, a festering worry that ate at Kaoru constantly.

"I already put that beast out of its misery. My pet stopped me from dealing the final blow, but the ending is just the same. While his life might have been preserved, who really knows with his injuries, his crushing defeat should have destroyed what was left of his spirit. I must say that I was a bit disappointed; I didn't expect it to be so easy to defeat the Battousai."

Enishi couldn't hide the surprise that flittered across his face as he turned his head to gauge Kaoru's reaction to this information. If the paleness of her complexion wasn't confirmation enough, her shallow breathing and slight tremors verified it. Enishi lifted an eyebrow in question to her, the meaning clear enough. She shook her head slightly in answer; she would not answer that question now.

Why Enishi felt protective over this slip of a thing was beyond him. He should hate this woman; she stole everything that was denied his beloved sister, and yet he couldn't. Maybe it was because she was just like Tomoe; she loved the world to a fault. Kaoru also had every right to despise him, to abandon him to the dark trench that he carved out himself; however, she was the one who reached out to him. The diary that she proffered him was a peace offering, but more importantly, it was life. Enishi suspected that she knew this when she provided it to him; that the diary alone would provide a ray of light in the veil of shadows that he cast upon himself. It was that diary, the innermost thoughts of his sister which contained all of the love, sorrow, and forgiveness that she never expressed openly, that opened up his eyes. Enishi wouldn't say he was a reformed man; he just no longer cared to act in a way that would disappoint Tomoe any further.

Regardless of the sins of her father, he couldn't leave Kaoru here. He felt like he owed her and Tomoe that much.

Kaoru noticed Enishi's grip tighten slightly on his "staff" as he shifted his right foot back ever so slightly. It was clear to Kaoru that he was preparing for a fight.

Enishi smirked as threw out his challenge, "You're right, this one is special; a bit too special for your simple exhibit if you ask me. She'll be coming with me."

Kaoru gasped as she recognized the shimmering grey metal object that Fukuki calmly pulled out from within his kimono. She had never seen one so small before, but she could at the very least recognize that is was a western firearm. Beads of cold sweat dripped from her temples as anxiety ate at her from the inside. Enishi was strong, very strong, but she doubted even his ability to win against that thing at such close range and in such a confining space. She quivered with fear for him.

Fukuki was instantly rewarded when the smug smirk vanished from the white haired devil's face. His own grin became even more feral than before; his eyes shinned openly with the madness within.

"Pretty fancy gun you got there. Don't see many Colt SAA's out here," Enishi calmly replied.

The laughter from the mad merchant grated on Enishi. "So you recognize it. Great! Simply marvelous! It saves me so much trouble. You know, the entire intimidation effect is simply ruined when you have to stop and explain exactly what the prey should be frightened of. It really is quite tiresome you know."

"I can imagine." Enishi would never admit it openly, but the situation was quickly spiraling out of hand. He was quick, but he doubted even his speed could get him out of this completely clean. Then there was the fact that a stray bullet could easily bypass him and hit Kaoru directly behind him. There was the fact that gunfire would simply alert any guards and prevent him from getting Kaoru out easily anyway. Damn.

Fukuki pulled the hammer back as the pistol shifted to its target. "This has been fun my white haired friend; however, as they say 'All good things must end.' I am very fond of my new toy, and sadly I do not share well with others."

Before either men could react, before she even knew herself what she was doing, Kaoru reached through the bars seizing Enishi's walking cane. In less time than it takes to blink, she unsheathed the blade that she was always sure was hidden within. Jumping back towards the center of the cell, away from the interfering grasps of others, she turned the glistening edge of the blade on herself.

"You will let him go Fukuki or you will lose everything this very instant."

Lowering the Colt only slightly, Fukuki attempted to call her bluff, "You won't do it. What do you stand to gain from protecting this low life? Kill yourself now and you will never see your family again."

Kaoru pressed the blade into her stomach ever so slightly, a small blossom of red spreading across her Kimono. "You'll never let me see them either way, so nothing lost and nothing gained."

Enishi instantly saw the haunting image of his sister lunging before the blade. "What the hell do you think you are doing? Don't you believe in protecting life? The sword that revitalizes suddenly believes in suicide?" He tried to lunge for the sword, but the annoying woman was too far away.

"My sword is already tainted. Saving you will only serve to cleanse it."

Fukuki's grin finally disappeared and was replaced with a demonic glare. "While I do appreciate that you are only hastening my endeavors to break this spirited mare, I must admit that I am not quite ready for the game to end. Have you already forgotten the promise I made when we first agreed to this little venture of ours Kaoru-san?"

Kaoru held her ground. "Kill them. There is no way that you can slaughter everyone and escape the watchful eye of the police. If you want to bring that kind of scrutiny on yourself, be my guest."

The pistol shifted towards Kaoru and Fukuki struggled to control his rage. "I don't take kindly to threats and manipulation Kaoru-san."

"Then consider it a forceful request Tamake-san."

Kaoru could almost visibly see the wheels in his head turning as Fukuki considered his options. Kaoru was right that he stood to lose a lot more with her untimely death now. Without her, he would lose the vast profits that her fights bring in, and the completion of his revenge. That was much more important than some scrappy white haired monkey.

"Get lost kid before I change my mind," Fukuki snarled out, turning his glare on Enishi.

Enishi all but ignored the annoying man with the gun as he continued to stare at Kaoru with a wild desperation. "You expect me to just leave?"

"I do," was her simple reply.

"Hate to tell you Kamiya, but I don't take orders from anyone, even you."

Kaoru removed her emotional barriers for just a moment, allowing Enishi to see all of the unspoken things in her soul; her sorrow, pain, loneliness, anger, hope, determination, and love. It was painful to witness. "You don't belong here Enishi."

He pulled his arms back from the cell as he tried to reason with the insane creature. He shouldn't care; he really didn't understand completely why he did. He just knew that he could not fail this woman who was just too painfully like Tomoe. He wouldn't fail his sister again. "Neither do you."

"Be that as it may, this is my reality, not yours. Go Enishi, Tomoe has lost so much, I will not take her brother from her as well."

That one phrase struck Enishi with more force than any bullet ever could. Kaoru could see on his face the moment that she had won, when he realized that Tomoe would not want her precious brother to sacrifice his life to save another. It was a bitter victory.

"Tell Aoshi" was all that she whispered to him as he turned to take his leave. As he passed Fukuki, he was barely able to stop his fist from crushing the little toad's face. He paused for a moment as the demon's cackling reverberated off of the walls and bars; stirring up the internal fire within Enishi that he was poorly suppressing. Taking a quick, deep breath to steady himself, he turned for a moment to glance at the caged woman one last time. The haunting image of his sister standing behind Kaoru, wrapping her arms around the young woman protectively flashed before his eyes. Shaking the image from his head, he turned around and disappeared into the shadows from wince he came.

Dropping the sword and taking a sigh of relief, Kaoru collapsed to the ground as all of the adrenaline poured out of her. She was still reeling from the shock of the evening, thereby missing Fukuki's quiet approach to her cell. The rattling of her cell door caused her to jump as Fukuki calmly opened the door and locked it behind him. Picking up the discarded blade, he approached Kaoru much like a tiger to its prey. By all accounts, he seemed calm and composed on the outside, every bit the controlled business man that he painted himself to be. However, the untamed fury of a 1000 dragons raged in his eyes causing Kaoru to visibly shiver.

"That my pet, was a very stupid move."


	19. Chapter 19

Blood red hair swayed slightly in the breeze as the lone figure stood in front of the imposing wooden gate. Not long ago this very gate was the most welcoming sight in the entire world for him; now it represented everything he stood to lose, again. Beyond this gate was where he found salvation from his sins, true love, friendship, and inner peace. It was home, something that Kenshin knew the immeasurable value of intimately.

As Kenshin stood there lost in quiet contemplation, he realized that this was the first time that he had returned home alone. Whether he wanted her to or not, Kaoru had always been his constant companion during his previous "adventures," and they always returned home together. Her absence stabbed at his heart deeply. He absently moved his hand to his chest, rubbing the ghost pains away gently, as he remembered his Shisho's parting words.

"You'll never save anyone at this rate boy!"

"I am not a boy!" Kenshin brushed the dirt off of his hakama and shot his master a frustrated glance. Even to his ears that sounded very petulant.

"Yeah, well any idiot that can't protect one simple woman is still a boy."

That was a laugh. Anyone who had ever known Kaoru for more than a minute could tell you many things about her. They might say that she is stubborn, brutish, a raccoon, kind, naive, and most definitely loud; however, no one would ever say simple.

Kenshin quirked his eyebrow up at his master in a quizzical manner; the disbelief plain on his face, "Simple?"

Seijuro crossed his herculean arms over his incredibly broad chest and stared down at Kenshin with a look that screamed, "You are truly the biggest idiot I have ever known." Kenshin found the entire sight rather annoying.

"Her love and trust in you is simple enough for anyone to see you idiot. A trust that was obviously misplaced."

Kenshin struggled to shake off the comment, brutal as it was; as he pondered which was sharper, Seijuro's sword or mouth. He had spent the last month training ruthlessly under the reclusive slave driver from dawn to dusk; frequently resulting in bringing Kenshin far past any normal point of exhaustion. He was mentally drained and the physical strain frequently became overwhelming. If Kaoru could only have seen him lugging those buckets of water back and forth, she would have had a fit of laughter. Kenshin could almost swear it was less about "training" and more about torture for his master.

He never once thought of quitting; to fail Kaoru again was unthinkable. He had driven himself past all reasonable limits of human capability in his single minded focus of rescuing Kaoru. Nothing mattered more to him than this. He was sure that Aoshi would find her location, and Kenshin vowed that he would be ready.

However, now he stood in front of an impenetrable brick wall. No matter the circumstance of his attack, Kenshin just couldn't overcome the sheer raw power of Seijuro Hiko. Over the past month his physical form had not changed much; though he was sure Kaoru would note the slight differences easily. His hair had grown longer over the last few weeks; though not quite yet to his old length. His lean muscles had grown a bit in size, but not enough to place him anywhere near the realm of Shisho's. The blood, sweat, and heartache of the last month had finally returned to him his lost art and god-like speed. Now he faced his greatest test yet, his Kuzu Ryu Sen must face and defeat his master's unrestrained Kuzu Ryu Sen and win.

Hiko towered before him, unchecked power blasting off of him in waves; the entire field was electrified and the air practically hummed from it. This would be Seijuro's final volley; Kenshin could feel the finality of it. He tried in vain to steel his nerves as a surge of doubt overcame him. What chance did he stand against this titan with a measly month of training; he was sure that 10 years of training wouldn't matter, it never really did before.

Kenshin and Seijuro flew forward simultaneously to attack, reacting to some invisible trigger that only they could hear. It was in that moment, the briefest of seconds before their mutual attacks were unleashed, that Kenshin could feel his wife's spirit wash over him. In that moment he could feel her courage, love, and most importantly her strength. He saw every moment that they shared, and every one that they were destined to still share. It was in that second of calm before the storm that he finally understood that the strength of 10 Seijuro Hiko's wouldn't, couldn't defeat him. Seijuro fought alone, he always had and most likely always would; however, Kenshin would never fight alone again. Kaoru is always with him because they are one; while they may possess two bodies, they share one soul. They are two halves of the same whole and gain their true power from the other. With Kaoru by his side he could never lose!

A thunderous explosion rocked the earth as the two swords clashed and the trees bowed graciously to the tidal wave of air as it rushed past. The two men stood in silence at opposing sides of the field, backs facing each other with their swords frozen in mid-air. It was as though even Time itself stood still in anticipation, drawing out the moment for just a second longer, then reality crashed back into place. Sejiuro's sword crumbled like glass and he barked out a tremendous laugh as he turned to face his pupil.

Seijuro couldn't help but break out into even more vigorous laughter as he took in his idiot apprentice's dumbfounded expression as he too turned. The disbelief was clear on his face; though whether he couldn't believe that he won or was dumbfounded by his master's reaction Sejiuro couldn't say. Perhaps it was a bit of both. Regardless, the classic, "Oro!" that fell from Kenshin's lips drew a rare smile to Seijuro's face.

Kenshin could hardly believe his eyes. He had finally defeated his master, crushed his sword, and now the annoying ape was laughing at him! "Master!" Kenshin cried out in exasperation.

Seijuro calmed slightly as he walked over to Kenshin, but the smile remained firmly placed. He smacked Kenshin so firmly on the back that he stumbled forward under the force. "Remember this lesson Kenshin, the will to live is the key to everything, but alone it will never be enough. You must forge and temper that key in a strong faith in yourself. Without both parts, you can never hope to win. You must always believe in your ability to overcome anything."

Kenshin smiled at his master, one of few true smiles since Kaoru was taken from him. "Thank you." Then after a simple bow, he turned away from the field and slowly made his way to the river. As exhausted as he may be, he refused to sleep a wink until he bathed.

As the cool waters from the river washed over him, Kenshin dreamed about his family once again. He often found himself reminiscing about their happier times in these quiet moments. As he stared out over the waters before him, he didn't see the little fish in the river swimming to their spring spawning grounds. He failed to notice the little river pebbles as they slowly made their way downstream. Instead, he was watching Kenji and Kaoru play in the grass by the canal close to their house. Kenji was laughing as he chased his mother around the field with Kaoru using her mastery of martial arts to expertly dodge her son's attacks. Kenshin was observing at a safe distance, basking in the peaceful serenity of the day. When Kaoru finally let Kenji catch her, she scooped him up into a crushing hug and swung him around in circles. As Kenji's laughter pierced through the din of the city, Kaoru's gaze caught Kenshin's and an electric smile light up her face. Kenshin's responding smile was automatic. Kenshin sighed as the scene faded into oblivion before him, "I'll find you. Wherever you are, I'll find you always."

A few hours later after some food and rest, Kenshin was finally ready to set out towards home once again. Armed with his former strength and a new sense of determination and resolve, he made his way back towards home. Bowing to Sejiiuro one last time in a sign of respect and unspoken gratitude, Kenshin turned towards Kyoto finally ready to leave. A firm grip on his shoulder stopped him after only a step; rather than turning around completely he glanced at his master from over his shoulder.

"You are not alone Kenshin; you carry with you an Army. It may be a small army; however, their skills are great, diverse, and they are loyal allies. Gain strength from them."

Kenshin, to shocked by his master's somewhat kind words towards his friends, could only nod in agreement. He stumbled forwards as Sejiuro rather violently patted him on the shoulder, again, and then was pushed forward, hard.

"Now go get my daughter back you idiot!"

Kenshin shook his head, dispelling the memory with it. His master's final comment made him chuckle quietly. "You are like the sun Kaoru, you can't help but draw everyone into your light."

Placing a hand firmly against the dojo's gate, he sighed as he pushed it open reveling the garden square. It was amazing, nothing had changed at all. The damage from that fateful night had long since been repaired. The day's laundry was hanging up towards the center catching the day's slight breeze. The lingering sent of lunch wafted through the air, Miso and fish. He could hear the distinct kiais of a class coming from the dojo. He briefly wondered if it was Yahiko or Yutarou teaching?

Kenshin was torn from his internal musings as a shrill, "Daddyyyyyyyyyy!" pealed through the air and the sound of little feet hammering against the ground caused him to turn towards the source. Little Kenji bolted into his father's waiting arms and Kenshin reveled in the rare moment with his son. Under most normal circumstances, Kenji would merely tolerate his father. Kenji clung to his father in some strange combination of a hug and desperate life saving cling. Kenshin stroked his son's back in soothing circles and placed a firm kiss against his red mop covered head. "I'm home," was all the only response he could manage.

"Ken-san! You're back!"

Turning towards the the ever graceful doctor, Kenshin was greeted with a warm smile from none other than Takani Megumi. Kenshin returned a smile in kind, still holding Kenji firmly in his arms. "Yes, that I am," was his simple reply.

"Am I to assume that this means that your training went well Ken-san?" Megumi inquired with feigned mild curiosity as she stopped just a few feet in front of him and Kenji.

"Yes, that it did."

The relief that briefly flooded her face was hard to miss, though she tried her best to mask it. "Then welcome home Ken-san. I will prepare something for you to eat if you will just wait a few minutes."

"This one thanks you very much for your kindness Megumi-dono."

"It is no problem Ken-san. Kenji, please return to the kitchen with me. Your must still finish your lunch."

Kenji's face produced quite the interesting combination of a frown and grimace. "I don't wanna!" he yelled back as he burrowed further into his father.

Kenshin gently lowered his son back to the ground, patting him on the head as he struggled to disentangle himself from the young boy. "Kenji, you must return with Megumi-dono, that you must. I will be there shortly."

Kenshin tried to take a small step back, but a little hand reached out and latched onto his pinky. Kenji's eyes began to water slightly and he looked into his father's large violet ones, "Is mommy going to come home soon too?"

"Kenshin squeezed Kenji's small hand in reassurance as he answered with a slight smile, "Yes Kenji. She will be home soon, that she will."

Appeased for the moment, Kenji skipped off towards the kitchen with Megumi following gracefully behind.

Once they were both out of sight Kenshin turned towards the shadows that lingered in the corner of the property, his hand readying his sakabatou. He lowered himself into a defensive stance, wary of the presence that he sensed on the periphery of the property just a few moments ago. "It is not nice to hide in the shadows. Show yourself"

"You would know Battousai."

Kenshin's heart stopped and his blood ran cold. He would remember that voice even after his death, the voice that continued to haunt his worst nightmares. "Enishi."

Enishi slowly walked forward into the light stopping quite a few feet from Kenshin still. His short white hair still jutted out in all directions from his head; it looked more like a wild animal's mane Kenshin mused. Kenshin noted that the years had been kind to him; it didn't look like he had aged at all. However, he noted that Enishi's eyes held more peace than madness within them and wondered at the change.

Kenshin stood up from his defensive guard, but he remained tense with one hand remaining on the hilt of his sword. "What do you want Enishi?" He tried VERY hard to keep his tone somewhat neutral.

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not here for you, I'm here for Kaoru."

Kenshin instinctually dropped back down into a battoujutsu stance. His eyes drew to slits and his eyes flashed gold. The air hummed around him as leaves were kicked up into the air from the pressure. "She isn't here," he growled.

Enishi held his ground, clearly not intimidated, yet he made no move for defense either. He held a black walking stick in his right hand that Kenshin suspected may contain a weapon, but he made no move to draw it. Kenshin would be lying to himself he said he wasn't slightly confused by Enishi's actions; however, the past had taught him to be wary of this man before all others.

" She's in Sapporo"

Unbidden confusion swept plainly across Kenshin's face now. "What?"

"Your wife is in Sapporo, within the Hokkaido region." His exasperated tone and condescending gaze almost reminded Kenshin of his master. Enishi was clearly questioning his intelligence.

"How?"

Enishi didn't need to clarify the question, they both knew that he understood clearly. "I saw her."

Kenshin's brain stopped, all thought flew from him like a spring sakura blossom flew from the cherry blossom tree. It took what little mental capability he had left to not collapse right there from relief. "When? How did you find her? How is she?"

Enishi smirked a bit. He might be here for that woman, but he couldn't help enjoy watching that red headed demon beg. "A few days ago. I was at an underground fighting/gambling arena. Imagine my surprise when I see that their star fighting attraction happens to be your woman. When I left her, she was a bit banged up, but alive."

Kenshin was struggling to catch up; it felt like his mind was running laps through the mud. She was alive, Kaoru was alive! However, she is being made to fight for her life, constantly using her father's most sacred principles to hurt others. That monster was torturing her in the most cruel way and this white haired devil left her there to rot!

His hand was grasping Enishi's lapel before he was even aware that he had moved. His eyes were golden slits and his voice was as deep as rolling thunder. "You left her there. You abandoned her to that monster. I know you hate me, but she is innocent! She is innocent and you left her there to rot!"

Kenshin noticed the quick movement of Enishi's arm out of the corner of his eyes and leaped back before the thin blade drawn from the walking cane could strike him. "You abandoned her to that fate, don't put this on me Battousai! Your inability to protect your second wife is not my fault. Failing to protect your women seems to be a habit with you."

"She protected you! Kaoru was the one that protected you and provided you with your sister's last memento. You owe her everything!"

"You don't think that I don't know that! I tried to get her out! I may be a devil, but what would Tomoe have though if I had left Kaoru there. But that stubborn woman just wouldn't come. She is convinced that she is there to protect you. She thinks that you of all people have suffered enough and deserve peace; you shouldn't have to suffer for her family's sin and all that. Nothing I said would change her mind. Even so, I was going to drag her out until her zoo keeper threatened us both with a gun. Kaoru wouldn't have it and was going to kill her-self if I didn't leave. I couldn't risk it. She was trying to protect Tomoe's happiness by protecting me!" A hint of his old madness was evident in his eyes as left hand pulled viciously at his wild white hair and his right hand griped his blade with deranged fervor.

Kenshin collapsed to the ground, the weight of everything becoming to much for him to bear any longer. Everything Enishi said Kenshin had long sense suspected, but to know that his beloved was suffering, far away from home, in some twisted way to protect him was just to great a weight. A single tear slipped down his cheek. "She was protecting your happiness too you know."

Enishi quickly made his way back to the corner of the grounds into the protection of the shadows. "Kenshin, I don't think I will ever forgive you for what happened on that cold winter's night; however, protect that woman's happiness. Protecting her is the same as protecting what is left of Tomoe. Do that and maybe we can both move on."

Enishi jumped over the wall in one easy movement and disappeared into history. Kenshin might not be Aoshi, but in the long run he suspected that Kaoru would have preferred this option anyway. Maybe she thought that he wouldn't ever seek Kenshin out again regardless of the situation. Quite honestly, even he was surprised what he was willing to do for that woman. But as the afternoon sun shone high overhead and he made his way out of the city, Enishi was followed closely by his the spirit of his smiling sister.

"HIMURA-SAN! HIMURA-SAN, HIMURA-SAN, HIMURA-SAN! WE FOUND HER!"

Kenshin fell promptly backwards on his butt, startled after finally pulling himself up off of the ground.

"Oro!"

The dojo gates were flung open like a storm ready to blow them from their hinges. Hurricane Misao ran into the small square followed by the ever stoic Aioshi, a large smile gracing her small face.

"HIMURA-SAN! WE FOUND HER! WE FOUND KAORU-SAN!"


	20. Chapter 20

"What. Do. You. Mean. You. Knew?"

Sano and Yahiko cast a wary glance at Kenshin, who at this precise moment more closely resembled a red haired devil than their happy, bumbling friend. Kenshin's eyes were burning golden amber and were focused intensely on the man seated in front of him. Kenshin wasn't moving at all, not a single muscle twitched. It was as if the coming slaughter was prevented simply by his sheer force of will. If he moved, even minutely, it would surely be the death of the damned wolf.

"I am not your woman's keeper Battousai. Do I look like a babysitter?"

"How long Saito?"

A fog of smoke enveloped Kenshin for a moment as Saito exhaled; the cigarette now held precariously between his two fingers. Kenshin suspected the smoke was placed deliberately. Saito seemed bored, very bored. He regarded the office pests with the similar annoyed resignation one might regard a petulant child "About a week or so ago. My undercover agent was rather surprised to see her."

"AND YOU LEFT HER THERE! WHAT SORT OF OFFICER ARE YOU!" The windows literally shook with the force of Kenshin's explosion. Sano and Yahiko spared a glance at one another; each raised a single eyebrow in turn, and then promptly took a large step back.

Saito calmly stood from his chair and walked around his desk to stand in front of Kenshin, or maybe tower over Kenshin is the more apt description.

"I do not answer to you Battousai. I have been informed that she is there somewhat willingly."

"You must know that isn't true. She was coerced into it. Do you even know what condition she is in? You should have gotten her out, or at the very least have told me!"

"Do I look like your personal messenger? You were the one who fought to create this Meiji government. I cannot storm in with little information, nor due cause. I need information and evidence, and your woman is providing it beautifully. So I made the executive decision to leave her there; her role is invaluable, even if she is not aware of it. If you want her out so much, then get her yourself. In the mean time, I suggest you learn your place."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed to thin slits and his breathing deepened as he attempted in vain to quell his rising temper. When it came to Kaoru and his family, he was always a bit too hot blooded. "And if she is killed? You'll just move onto the next source? I never thought I would see the day when Saito Hajime betrayed Aku Soku Zan."

Saito dropped his cigarette to the floor and stomped his frustrations upon it. He was finding this entire exchange exhausting. Normally the Battousai was more intelligent about such things, albeit only slightly. "That is rich coming from the assassin who won't kill. My agent is keeping an eye on her. Besides, you managed to find her without my help. The Oniwabanshu's network is as extensive as ever I see." Saito cast a brief glance towards the quite ninja standing in the back corner of the office; his ice blue eyes gave nothing away. "Is there anything that you would like to share with the class?"

Aoshi looked to Kenshi for approval, receiving a minuscule nod. "Tamake Fukuki was a rebel in the Southwestern war. In the chaos of the fighting, Kamiya Koshijirou-san killed Tamake's comrades; Tamake bears resentment for this and seeks revenge. However, Kamiya Koshijiro-san was killed during the final days of the war when he took down a platoon of cannons to protect his comrades. Years later, an underling of Tamake came across Kaoru-san by accident during a train robbery. He alerted his boss of the mysterious user of a sword style similar to Kamiya-san. With Kamiya-san dead, Tamake focused his revenge on Kaoru."

"When Tamake threatened the lives of Kaoru's family, we believe that she went with Tamake willingly in order to save everyone. Since then she has been his star attraction in Sapporo, forced to fight challengers in an underground fight ring. With Sapporo's rapid growth over the last 20 years, combined with its isolation from the mainland and the Meiji government, the region is fraught with such activities."

"Humph, sounds a bit like the Wild West to me," Sano muttered somewhat quietly under his breath. Yahiko's confused expression beside him hinted that he was not as quiet as he intended, "America kid."

Yahiko nodded briefly and turned his attention back to the main discussion. He already knew most of this, but it was still hard to listen to again. He gripped his hands into fights, digging his nails in deeper and deeper into his skin as the discussion went on. He really didn't need to be reminded again how they had all failed her.

"He advertises that all challengers can test their skills against the wife of the famed Battousai. The only time she is seen is during her matches; she arrives through a cell connected to the fighting arena. She is most likely held in a retaining cell when not actively fighting; however, we do not know at this time exactly where she is, or how large the interior complex is. Reports indicate that she is in fair condition; however, she was injured rather severely in a recent fight. After a mysterious challenger with monstrous skills going by the name Sojiro-san appeared, she was not seen in the arena again for a few days."

"Due to the distance, it took some time for the first reports to filter through the network; however, it is difficult to hide someone as famous as the Battousai's wife, especially when advertising it.

Saito would not show it, but he was rather impressed with how much information the ex-Oniwabanshu's leader was able to amass. He spoke calmly as he lit a new cigarette, placing it in his mouth, "So what's your plan now."

Kenshin's grip on his sword's hilt tightened. "We. Get. Her. Back. Now!"

Saito rolled his eyes in response, "Ok, what is the plan from someone who is thinking."

"This isn't a debate Saito. I will get my wife back now!"

It was Aoshi who became the voice of reason, "It is most likely a trap. The easiest revenge would have been to kill Kaoru, which would not have required her removal." Aoshi ignored Kenshin's visible flinch as he pressed on. "If he wanted to remove her from her family in order to torture her, then why advertise so plainly that he has her? Someone that intelligent and organized enough to repeatedly rob valuable train lines without capture, and run an underground gambling hall under the nose of the Meiji government isn't stupid enough to make such a clear mistake. Even in the underground circles, news like that would travel. He clearly wants whoever might be looking for her to find her. I suspect he is forcing her to fight to break her spirit. If he can then kill anyone that she loves, not only does he remove her hope for escape, but he crushes her soul at the same time."

"Decent investigating." Saito smirked at Aoshi. "Only one mistake, Tamake has not been operating under the nose of the Meiji government. I'm proof of that."

"Even so, I will not let her stay there any longer. I will save my wife." The fire of conviction in Kenshin's eyes brokered no argument.

"Then that is just what we will do Kenshin, right?" Sano stepped up behind Kenshin and forcefully slapped his shoulder with a broad grin on his face. "But we will do it how we always have, together. So you damn wolf, who is your mole? What's the big plan?"

…...

"That was a most unwise decision Kaoru-san." Sojiro's smile faltered for just a second as his sharp eyes gave Kaoru a once over. She had a stream of caked on blood starting from her hair line, continuing down over her left eye and ending at the edge of her cheek. Her wheezing and the arms wrapped around her chest indicated that she had re-broken her ribs. Upon closer inspection he suspected that her wrist was either severely sprained or fractured from the tell tale swelling and bruising. Besides those injuries, she was sporting quite the array of bruises and smaller cuts over the rest of her body, or at least the visible parts. Sojiro did not want to ponder on what the covered injuries must look like.

Kaoru, still huddled in her corner, did not bother to look up when she replied to her amicable guest. "It was not my first choice Sojiro-san."

"Kaoru-san," Sojiro spoke quietly, patiently, as he opened and re-closed the cell behind him as he entered, "I have told you that you could continue calling me simply Sojiro."

A glint of a smile danced in Kaoru's visible eye as she looked up into his slightly annoyed face, "I know. I simply see no point in complying when you still refuse to call me Kaoru."

Sojiro could never tell her that was because he viewed her status as one far above his own. Here was a person who was physically weak by all comparison to the monsters she surrounded herself with, yet somehow could never be considered a weak, helpless person. Kaoru possessed considerable strength to defend herself if required, that was evident. However, Sojiro saw that her true strength lie elsewhere, somewhere harder to understand and grasp. Here was a woman who had lost so much in her life, who had every reason to hate the world and everyone in it; however, she continued to love with that open innocent naivety that only see could ever possess. Hers were the only eyes where he saw such painful worldly wisdom and childlike innocence swirled together. Everything that she had seen and lost in the last couple of months alone would have caused anyone else to lose hope. Kaoru though was a beacon of it, exuding hope around for everyone else to latch onto and drink from like the starved children they were. She refused to give up, on herself, her morals, or anyone else. Her injuries were not battle scars so much as they were badges to her inner strength.

"And it is precisely that stubborn streak of yours that caused this." His free hand waved at Kaoru indicating her "wonderful" array of injuries.

"And what would you have me do Sojiro? Just sit back and watch Enishi killed? It was my fault he was in that predicament in the first place."

"That is debatable Kaoru-san." Sojiro was showing her one of his true, albeit rare smiles as his gentle hands ghosted over her small frame taking careful stock of all of her injuries. The glare he was receiving, combined with the lack of an honorific was the only clue to how frustrated she was with him.

"I am afraid that if you require me to move Sojiro-san, I will need your help. I do not think that I can do it alone."

The smile faded as he realized the true danger she was in, "I suspected as much Kaoru-san. Give me one moment."

Sojiro then laid out a large cloth in the center of the cell then returned to Kaoru's side. He was horrified at how light she was when he lifted her and gently placed her in the center of the cloth. She didn't look horrifyingly skinny, but she had obviously lost more weight than he had originally thought. "I am sorry Kaoru-san, but I will need to remove your kimono. I need to get a good look at your injuries and will most likely need to re-wrap your ribs."

Kaoru nodded her head as she allowed Sojiro to remove it for her. "I couldn't let him die. Even if I didn't believe that my sword's purpose was to protect life; even if he was here to kill me, I could never let that man die."

Sojiro paused in his work for a moment and looked straight into Kaoru's eyes, silently prodding her to continue.

"Kensin would never forgive me if I let the last of Tomoe and her happiness disappear. More than that though, Tomoe herself would never forgive me. When Enishi captured me all those years ago, I always felt like Tomoe was protecting me. She was silently watching over me and protecting me so that I could return home. After that kindness, how could I repay her with the blood of her brother?"

"Kaoru-san simply could not let him die because you are too kind. I have learned that it is not a horrible trait to possess, but comes with its own cost. But Kaoru-san, if you continue to protect everyone's happiness at the expense of your own, than no one will be truly happy in the end. How do you think Enishi, your friends, or your family feel right now knowing that you are suffering at their expense?"

A single tear streaked down her cheek and left Sojiro breathless. "I know, and I miss them terribly. I realize now that I did not trust Kenshin to defeat Fukuki alone; however, together things might have been different. I just didn't want to see him suffer anymore, especially for a sin that was not his to atone for. I have failed there too I suppose."

"I do not think your honored father committed a sin Kaoru-san. I know a bit about what happened then, and yes, he took many lives at the command of his government; however, it was to protect his comrades. Like you, I think your father simply loved too much. He threw away his beliefs in order to protect those he held most dear. And the lives he took were rebels who would have seen the peace that was won at such great cost thrown away. He was called to serve in the army, and he gave his life protecting his friends. He did not kill for sport and he did not take lives needlessly. There is no sin in a warrior serving admirably. Your father was a hero Kaoru-san."

A few more tears silently fell down her cheeks as she nodded her head. Silence took over as Sojiro continue his ministrations on her injuries; carefully re-wrapping her ribs, cleaning her face, disinfecting her cuts, and checking her bruises.

"Sojiro?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Sojiro paused briefly to look at her quizzically, then returned to his work. "Because you are injured Kaoru-san."

"Yes, but why do you care? You work for Fukuki-san. You could get in a lot of trouble for helping me."

"Kaoru-san, you fight for Fukuki-san; you cannot fight properly if you are so gravely injured."

"He didn't seem overly concerned about that."

"A oversight I am now rectifying on his behalf."

Kaoru leveled a piercing gaze at him and used her hand to force him to look her in the eyes. "We both know that is not why you are doing this."

"I work with Fukuki-san, not for him. There is a difference. Besides, I am terrified enough of your husband to take good care of his precious wife."

Kaoru couldn't help the small laugh that escaped, followed quickly by grabbing at her now burning sides. "Ow, don't make me laugh."

"I am eternally sorry Kaoru-san," Sojiro said as a gleam of playful mirth danced in his eyes. As he finished tending to the final injury though, he looked at Kaoru with a more serious and grave inflection. "Kaoru-san, you must be more careful now. With your ribs in their current condition, one more injury could easily pierce your lungs. In addition, the substantial bruising on your back and abdomen makes me suspect some type of internal injury. Any more incidents like this and I am afraid that your separation from your family will become more permanent. Please Kaoru-san, take care."

Kaoru took her bruised hand and pushed Sojiro's hair over his left ear, cupping his cheek for one brief moment before placing it back on her lap. "Thank you Sojiro. No matter what happens now, I am glad that I was gifted the opportunity to see your exceedingly kind heart. In another life, I think we might have made the best of friends." She then rested her head against the cool stone wall and closed her eyes as if asleep. The conversation was clearly done.

At a loss of words, Sojiro simply nodded and proceeded to collect his things. As he closed the cell door behind him once more, he looked back upon Kaoru and couldn't help the one final question that slipped past his lips. "Kaoru-san? Why did you really stay? Why didn't you escape with Enishi-san?"

Kaoru kept her head against the wall; however, she turned her face towards him and cracked open her one good eye as she answered. "Because I work for Fukuki and not with him. He commands my cooperation with the lives of everyone above me."

"I do not understand? You mean your family?"

"No Sojiro. I mean with the bombs he has rigged to this entire arena."

* * *


	21. Chapter 21

"Are we sure this is the best plan," Yahiko asked with only the slightest tone of trepidation. "Seems like we're leaving a lot to chance."

Sano came up beside Yahiko ruffling his hair. His tall muscular build towered over the teen even still, but noticeably less so than before. "Sure kid, it's just about the only sure way to find the missy."

Yahiko pushed Sano's hand off of his head and stepped slightly out of reach. "Whatever. But this is a bit crazy, even for us. What if this Fukuki guy just decides to blow the joint? We could get her killed."

"My agents and I will disarm the bombs. You idiots are supposed to get the girl." Saito's voice carried from the shadows with the hard, staunch lines of his face illuminated by the cigarette he always seemed to have. How he managed to look disinterested in all that life had to offer, and disgusted with their apparent idiocy was a mystery to Yahiko. He had a feeling that it was a duality unique to the Mibu Wolf.

"Yeah, and one of my many talents is the art of a good distraction." SMACK! Yahiko couldn't help it, the noise immediately drew his gaze. Sano's face shone with its usual promise of a good fight; yet underneath it was a deep raw desperation, fear even. All of a sudden it was evident to Yahiko in that one brief moment of irony that Sano was trying to distract himself more than anything.

"Just about your only talent," mumbled Yahiko under his breath.

"I heard that you little brat!" Yahiko deftly ducked under the head slap he knew was coming and fell in line next to Kenshin.

"Stupid teenage ingrates grow a few inches and think they own the damn world." Sano glared at the teen who was clearly not the half pint that he left on the pier all those years ago. He was proud of the maturity and restraint that the kid had obviously learned over the years. Under Kaoru and Kenshin's watchful and guiding hands, the spunky brat turned into a reliable and self-controlled young man. Any where was he? Off gallivanting around the world.

Sano was glad that he got to see the world, and he believed that he was a better man for it; however, he couldn't help the tinge of sadness with the realization that he wasn't there to help Yahiko grow. Sano couldn't hold back the anger that he couldn't protect Kaoru again! All this pent up energy was building inside of him, and one way or another, he was itching to get it out soon.

As Sano shifted attention over to Kenshin, that old shiver ran up his spine. He could see the barely contained energy rolling off Kenshin in waves; the air around them was cracking under the weight of his pressure. Sano knew that Kenshin never really wanted to fight, but he almost felt sorry for the poor smucks holding Kaoru. Kenshin was boiling over from months of agonizing worry, constant guilt, and frustration. Months! Months of waking up every morning to the same never ending nightmare. Months of going to sleep every night alone. Months of reliving the same rotating nightmares that all led to the same inevitable outcome before screaming himself awake, tears silently streaming down his cheeks. Months of intense training that only highlighted his loss in the first place. Months away from his family, facing his heartbroken son when he himself was a broken man. God, The last time Kenshin spent anywhere close to this much time apart from Kaoru was during the Kyoto incident. Outwardly, to the average observer, Kenshin looked great. He was slender, but peeking through his lose kimono were strong lean muscles. His feminine features and his striking red hair made him appear as handsome as ever. Sano knew better though. They may have spent years apart, but Kenshin couldn't hide the slight bags under his eyes from to many nights lost sleep, nor the slight quiver from the exertion of holding himself in check. Kenshin's eyes had dulled; there was a demonic fire to them, but the light had dimmed. He only talked when really necessary. He wasn't outright ignoring others, or being rude; however, it appeared he just didn't have much to say anymore. He was only ever half present on the best of days. Gone was the friendly banter of days long past.

Perhaps no tell was as obvious to Sano as the scar. Yahiko's letters distinctly said that the scar had dulled a great deal over the years. Yahiko had stated that it was still there, but had grown softer over time; it had begun to shrink and heal. Now though, the scar was as long and wide as the day that Sano had met Kenshin. To see it almost broke his heart; he could only guess how the Missy would react.

"Ok, everyone remember your part, and don't screw up! Got that?!" Sano got the distinct feeling that the wolf was directing that last comment directly at him.

And with that last comment, the group peeled off into the shadows towards their own individual marks.

Sano heard Kenshin almost whisper, "I'm coming Kaoru. When this is over, let's go home together." Sano was taken aback by the similarities of the situation; however, last time it was the missy telling almost the same to Kenshin. Sano caught Kenshin's eye, smiled, game a big thumbs up, and ran towards the front entrance. He had the most visible role to play, but that worked just fine for him. All of this ninja crap was never his style anyway.

…

"Kaoru-san? Kaoru-san, I am sorry to wake you, but Fukuki-san has a special exhibition match for you today."

Kaoru blinked her eyes and drifted back to consciousness slower than usual. The pain from her healing wounds had dulled her senses a bit and most of her energy over the last few days had been diverted towards healing. The minor bruises and scrapes across her body had faded and healed considerably, but that didn't mean she was ok by any standard. The bruising on her back and across her stomach had lessened, but only slightly; however, the fact that it hadn't gotten any worse was at least a good sign. If she did in fact have internal bleeding, it seems that it had now stopped. Kaoru's wrist was braced; Sojiro still suspected that it was in fact broken. Her ribs were the most pressing concern though. Sojiro had bound them to prevent them from shifting and piercing her lungs; however, they would not hold through a rigorous match.

Kaoru braced her bokken against the floor and used it for support as she gingerly stood. Sojiro stepped forward to help her up instinctively, but her hand shot out like lightening to stop him.

"Sojiro, how do you expect me to fight if you can't trust me to stand."

A slight frown of concern flittered across his face, "Kaoru-san, it is not I who expect you to fight."

Frustration leaked into her voice as she wearily replied, "I know that Sojiro, but the question remains the same. If I can't even be trusted to stand alone, I cannot fight alone."

Sojiro stepped forward and placed a firm, yet gentle grip on her elbow to stabilize her, looking into her eyes as he replied, "Or you can accept help now so that you can fight later. You know how to pick your battles Kaoru-san, you are just being stubborn."

"Possibly, but it is my stubbornness that will keep me alive out there."

Sojiro shook his head is firm disagreement. "No, it will be your intelligence. You are not fully healed; a wrong hit could easily kill you Kaoru-san. You must take care out there. I am sure that Tamake-san means to use this to finally break you."

Kaoru made her way out of her cell and down the walk towards the arena. "He hopes that a broken body will help finally break my spirit. He will be waiting a while."

"I am quite sure Kaoru-san."

"Why are you so kind to me Sojiro? Do you not work with my enemy?"

"You are who I would like to have become in another life Kaoru-san." He closed the final door behind her as she entered the arena holding cell, his hand lingering a moment longer in unease.

She turned towards him, placing her hand over his, "I believe you are closer that you think Sojiro."

He turned away, in shame or bashfulness she was not sure. "Thank you Kaoru-san."

"Now Sojiro, are you going to tell me who Fukuki has supplied as my birthday surprise? Must be someone special for an exhibition match"

"A special street fighter with a rather large ego Kaoru-san. Good Luck."

Kaoru was momentarily blinded as the door to the arena opened and the lights flooded previously dark room. The roars from the crowd deafened her and she fought to steady herself from the onslaught to her senses. However, as she stepped forward and her vision finally cleared, it was her heart that gave way to the sight in front of her. She slammed her bokken down to steady herself from crashing to her knees; she clenched her teeth to prevent the hyperventilating that threatened to begin. Her eyes watered with tears against her will; hope breathed into her lungs without her telling it to. She tightened her grip to prevent her hands from reaching out to him. And then the bone chilling fear rolled in.

 _How? Why? What is he doing here?_ She couldn't stop the torrent of questions from blooming in her mind nor the quite whisper that escaped from her lips, "Sano!"

…

For the first time in his life Sano was truly speechless. All of the boiling energy, excitement and anticipation instantly drained from his body and a raw, burning rage was left behind. His whole body was shaking from fury and his vision flashed white hot from it. He couldn't believe that woman standing before him was Kaoru!

Her hair was dim and oily from lack of care. She had clearly lost quite a bit of weight over the last couple of months. Her skin was pale and a bit grimy; almost ghost like in an eerie way. It was obvious that wherever they held her she struggled to maintain basic hygiene. There were healing bruises and abrasions all over her small frame, and from the way she was holding herself, Sano was sure she had a few broken ribs. Even from here he could see the tears pooling in her eyes, the clenched jaw, and the death grip she had on her bokken.

A fire burned in Sano's belly the likes of which would rival Kenshin's own. How dare the bastard do this to Jo-chan, his little sister! He was torn by the need to tear the guy's limbs off, and the desire to take Jo-chan into his large protective arms. But he had a job to do here, and he was determined to do it perfectly.

How the hell was he supposed to even pretend fight her like this?

"Yo, what the hell is the meaning of this?" He boomed at Fukuki from the arena floor. The slime wasn't hard to make out; he was the weasel standing in the overly opulent box above the arena floor. As he turned towards his "benefactor," he held a pointing hand out towards Kaoru.

A raised eyebrow and downturned lip were his only response.

"This chick is already half dead! What sort of challenge is this?"

The audible gasp behind him was as loud to his ears as a gunshot on a quiet afternoon. He really hoped that Kaoru was alert enough to keep up; and would forgive him once this was all done.

Fukuki's eyes wrinkled slightly as he narrowed them, almost like crow's feet. The contempt in his voice was strangely similar to someone else Sano knew; he suddenly felt the need to roll his eyes. "Then you should have no problem, right Zanza?"

Sano crossed his arms across his chest. "Look man. If a fight ain't fun, then there's no point."

"I guarantee you, she is more than up for the challenge. Our champion is the wife of the famous Hitokiri Battousai after all. Now ladies and gentlemen, let tonight's festivities begin. I promise you, it will be a night to remember!"

And in that moment when Sano turned around to face his "opponent" he wasn't sure what he feared for more. Kaoru's life, or his…. Because the little missy looked pissed.

She started by circling around him slowly, studying him. Kaoru knew she had most of the disadvantages. Her bokken provided her more range, but without an edge the level of damage she could inflict on Sano's massive frame was limited. Sano always knew how to take a hit. Furthermore, if she missed, which was a real risk with his speed, she would be wide open to his powerful hits. A sword attack traditionally required two hands on the hilt and larger sweeping motions that could take precious seconds to redirect. Sano though could attack with only one fist while leaving the other hand as a check against attacks allowing him to adapt and redirect quickly.

As Sano shifted his position and stance to match hers, he noticed her shift her grip on her bokken making it appear closer to a wakizashi. He wasn't surprised; Kaoru was always very intelligent and analytical in every fight. The shorter length would decrease her reach, but increase her response time.

Sano was anxiously waiting for her to make the first move, after all, he was only looking to buy time anyway; he didn't want to actually hurt her. Playing defense wasn't his style though, and he was itching for her to finally make her move.

When she finally did move, it was quicker than he expected with those injuries. She reminded him of those graceful big cats he saw in Africa, quick and lean. She threw a forward thrust towards his gut followed by a left elbow. Sano side stepped and narrowly missed the sweeping left kick. As she continued the rotation started by her sweep, Sano moved in and tried to lock both arms behind her looping his arms through her elbows.

"Hold it missy. This isn't what it looks like. I'm here to help." Before he could say anything more though, Kaoru stomped on his foot, elbowed his jaw, and ninjed her way out of his hold in what could only be described as more of a circular dance move than martial arts.

She quickly jumped back a few feet in front of him and positioned herself into a defensive stance. "I figured." The smirk on her face was almost scarier than her glare.

Sano noted the short breaths she was taking. They were more like she couldn't breathe deeply rather than being out of breath already. Now he was sure her ribs were broken. He had to be really careful here.

He threw a few punches which she easily dodged, just hard enough to make the show convincing while allowing him to get close enough to talk without being noticed. "Then what's up with the warm welcome."

Kaoru parried his final punch and brought the heel of her bokken hard into his right side. He reeled backwards.

"Have to make it look convincing."

He shot her a glare of his own as he rubbed the sore spot, "Not that convincing."

"How much could it have possibly hurt Sano, I'm half dead anyway." She exploded forward in a series of thrusts, swings, and jabs with a speed that would make Kenshin proud.

The fight continued in that way, with Kaoru dancing around Sano taking pot shots where she could and Sano attacking, careful of the ribs.

"You can't be here Sano. It isn't safe."

Sano's look clearly said that he thought she was an idiot, "But safe enough for you."

Kaoru tried to respond with a hard swing to his knee, but Sano easily caught her arm and put her into an arm lock holding her firmly in place. "We know about the bombs Kaoru."

Desperately she tried to struggle out of his grip, but it was just too strong. "Then what is the plan?"

"You and I distract the slime ball while the others disarm the bombs."

Then suddenly everything Sano said hit Kaoru, finally hit her, and she could feel her legs give out. "We? Others?"

Sano struggled to hold her up while not jarring her damaged body. He grabbed her hair and brought her head backwards to hear him better while making it look like the fight was still continuing. "Yes missy. He's here and you're going home. Now get up and fight. Wait for the signal and then I'll get you out of here."

_KENSHIN!_

Her brain whirled with the onslaught of emotions and she ached to be in Kenshin's arms again. With a renewed fire, she managed to break free of his hold, with a little help of course, and the fight continued again.


	22. Chapter 22

Kenshin watched the fight from the shadows, enraptured by Kaoru's grace and form, yet equally enraged by her state. He noticed everything that Sano did; probably a bit more. He knew every inch of her body like it was his own; he knew every curve, every scar, and every freckle. His heart tore with each cut, bruise, and broken bone his eagle eyes noticed. He studied each millimeter of her skin closely as she fought, categorizing every injury. Every movement she made was analyzed, memorizing which parts of her were possibly harmed. He wanted to hold her close, feed her malnourished body, and clean away all evidence of these past trying weeks. He held back tears, but he wasn't sure if they were for joy or grief. He was overwhelmed that after all this time she was so close, that he had found her at last. He struggled to hold himself back, to keep himself from running out there immediately, capturing her in his arms, and hiding her away from Fukuki and everyone's reach. Only the thoughts of the innocent lives depending on them all, especially that of his wife, held him in check.

He was well aware that she could have been in much worse condition, but that did not pain him any less. But oh boy, she was still as beautiful as ever to him; her muscles coiled like springs before exploding with precision and power. She delivered quick, efficient blows to Sano, making sure that no movement was wasted. Over the years he had taken his immense strength for granted; and therefore underestimated her's. He has forgotten how truly strong Kaoru was. It was evident that Sano was treating her with kid gloves, but that is only because he knew how monstrous his strength truly was. To anyone else, anyone who didn't know him personally, this fight would have appeared on more even footing. Sano clearly had the dominant strength and build; however, Kaoru had agility and speed on her side. She was fighting defensively, waiting for openings in Sano's large swings to strike. The only indicator of the likely victor was the fact that Kaoru was clearly tiring while Sano was not.

Kenshin hoped that Saito's team would release the signal soon; he wasn't sure how much longer Kaoru could play this dangerous game, her weakened body was tiring quicker than the original plan counted on. Sano wouldn't be able to fake his way through this fight much longer if he didn't start landing some good hits, and Kenshin wasn't sure Sano would survive if he did.

He continued to watch them for a few more moments, finding it a bit difficult to let her out of his sights again, and then slipped quietly into the shadows towards his final target.

On the arena floor Sano was struggling to play his part. It was a delicate balancing act to dodge Kaoru's quick attacks, counter, and still not actually hurt her any further all at the same time; truthfully, Sano was never good at juggling. He quickly adjusted his stance so that his back was towards Fukuki. "We need a plan B Jo-chan." He threw a 1-2 combo at her jaw as he continued, which she easily dodged. "A distraction. People aren't gonna buy this fight much longer."

Kaoru stood a critical distance away from him to catch her breath. Her skin glistened from a fine layer of sweat, and her breaths were shallow and slightly erratic. She kept her arms in close, subconsciously defending her ribs. She stared across the short expanse at him; her look clearly said that she was listening. "Do you trust me?" The slight shift in her stance towards him was his only answer.

He noticed her eyes widen minutely, unable to hide her obvious surprise that he would use that attack here, against her. It pained him to see the slight fear in her eyes, fearing on some level it was directed against him. She had to know that he would never actually hurt her, that he would die before he would ever use this attack against her right? He hoped that she did still truly trust him, prayed for it even. Not so many years ago, and yet still too many, she had trusted him with her life. He hoped that time hadn't stolen that from him too. Even so, he trusted her, and for now that would be enough.

He pulled his right fist back and thrust in violently towards the ground. "Futae no Kiwami!"

The ground of the arena shook and split open. It was like a small earthquake erupted and chose Sano as it epicenter. Chunks of ground shifted upwards than down into a crater, settling into uneven patches of unstable ground. The exploding boom slowly settled into rolling rumbles that reverberated in one's chest as the ground settled, and the air was thick with dust and dirt.

Kaoru struggled to maintain her balance through the whole ordeal and almost fell flat on her butt as the piece of ground underneath her feet shifted downwards. Sano bit his lip to prevent the laughter from erupting at the sight of her, then shivered. If looks could kill!

He squared his shoulders off, punched his fists together, and hardened his gaze. "I'm done playing Missy. No one likes a broken toy. Next one won't miss."

Kaoru resettled herself and corrected her hold on her bokken to a more traditional one. If she was going to pull this off, she would need her full power. Her only chance would be in the fact that she knew with every fiber of her being that Sano would pull the punch. That would create a small opening for her.

Even though they were only stalling, even though this fight wasn't "real," her pride prevented her from throwing the fight entirely. Sano may have been here to "save" her, but she would be dammed if she would play the damsel in distress one more time. Yes she was a woman, a wife, a mother, a friend, but she was also a warrior, and tonight she would stand with them.

Sano had a growing sense of unease as he evaluated her stance and the growing fire in her eyes. Her grip had returned to its traditional placement and her feet were almost in a wide kneel. She had calmed her breath, and miraculously she had captured some sort of second wind. Where was her energy coming from? What was she planning? She actually smiled as the question all but shown all over his face, " _What are you up to?"_

She mouthed, so that only he could see, "Do you trust me?"

And Sano couldn't help it, he smiled. His face erupted into a huge goofy grin that only the joy of a good fight could bring. He knew that he couldn't' really fight her; his very body resisted the mere idea, never mind the fact that Kenshin would kill him. But he couldn't help responding to her fire with a bit of his own.

As he lunged forward with his Futae no Kiwami and angled his arm just slightly to ensure it would go wide to the right. His eyes grew large, and he inhaled a sharp breath as he realized his mistake to late. Kaoru side stepped to the right, bringing her sword up in a graceful arc straight to his neck. Realizing her intention too late, he was unable to check her arm and had no choice but to brace for the impact. Once the blow struck, he dropped like a brick unceremoniously onto the now ruined floor.

"Sorry Sano, pressure points are a bitch."

The stadium was eerily quiet for almost a full minute as it tried to digest what just happened. No one spoke a word, and then, just as suddenly it erupted into a deafening roar of surprise, exhalation, and disbelief.

Kaoru knew that on a normal person the pressure point would only knock someone out for a few moments, even less with Sano. She had to act fast. She could already notice him stirring slightly as he aroused. She knelt next to him, acting like she was merely inspecting her latest challenger, still making sure to put on a show for the crowd.

"Sano, I have a plan. Follow my lead."

"You are gonna owe me big for that one Jo-chan."

Kaoru smirked and she walked towards the opulent booth that held her captor. Sano made sure that she was a good few feet from him before he started rousing slowly, rubbing his rather sore neck.

"I've beaten Zanza and I've grown rather tired of your games Fukuki! The least you could do is provide me and the 'good' people here some real entertainment."

Fukuki's eyes flashed at her insolence and blatant disrespect in front of all of his patrons. His grip on the arms of his chair visibly tightened as he leaned forward towards her. "I'd mind who you are addressing."

Kaoru's entire being radiated impertinence, from her hands on hips stance, to the "or what" glare, and the sassy smirk on her face. She was taunting him. "I'm Battousai's wife remember. Your one and only champion. You can't touch me."

The thick wooden armrests of Fukuki's chairs began to crack under the pressure of his grip. "I recommend that you get back to your 'room' before your outburst has 'explosive' consequences."

"Or what, you'll throw more useless gits at me like this lumbering buffoon? I don't know what is larger, his height or his over inflated ego."

"Oi!" Kaoru pointed her bokken at the dumbfounded Sano to accent her point.

" _Whatever Jo-chan is thinking better be pretty damn good for this level of verbal abuse,"_ thought an annoyed Sano. Surprisingly though, she didn't stop here. No, she kept pressing forward, even as Fukuki's eyes burned, his grip crushed wood, and his whole body shook with quiet fury. She had gone crazy during her confinement, that was the only explanation!

"You know what I think. You keep throwing this rift-raft of has-beens and wanna-bees at me because you are scared. You are scared of what "He" would do otherwise, and you should be."

With her thundering sermon done, she folded her arms over her chest defiantly and waited for his response.

Before Fukuki could respond though, Sano saw the signal he had been waiting for. "Well what do you know; the Wolf's team pulled it off after all." Sano marched his way over to Kaoru, " _Time for part 2."_

Kaoru held Fukuki's gaze intently, unwilling to show any sign of weakness or submission. Finally, his gaze shifted towards the towering fighter marching intently towards Kaoru in the ring.

"Zanza, Take your revenge and I'll triple your reward."

Without even bothering to look, Sano replied, "Sorry, but this fight is no longer for sale." When Kaoru met his gaze, a silent conversation passed between them. It was a conversation held between brother and sister, re-united physically, but never really separated. The bond between them still very alive and well; after everything, it was comforting to know that it was still alive and well. Briefly, he feared it might be lost forever. Now knowing what to do, he cupped his hands in front of in front of her, and prayed that Kenshin didn't kill him for this. "Good luck Jo-chan."

Kaoru turned her blistering gaze to Fukuki and her entire aura burned, "I am going home Fukuki." And with that, she jumped placing her right foot into Sano's cupped hand and flew towards Fukuki. Landing in front of him, and placing her bokken menacingly at his neck, she finished her sentence. "And I dare you to stop me."

His surprise only lasted a moment; he was supposed to be safe up here, removed from the violence below like a God among men, holding their lives in his very hands! He quickly recovered, purposely toppled the chair over backwards. Back rolling out of the chair, he pushed himself up quickly and reached for his sword on the wall behind him. Drawing the blade, laughter spilled from his lips, almost like the sword itself was drawing it from him.

"You must realize that you just signed everyone's death here as though you pulled the trigger yourself. I have finally broken you! You have now become the man that your father once was! I can finally fight and have my revenge!"

"I think you will find your fireworks display sorely lacking."

Fukuki stopped laughing immediately. "You're bluffing."

"Try me."

He studied her knowing smile, the sassy dare written within. He couldn't wait to blow it right off her face. Did she think him a fool? Someone who could be so easily manipulated?

He used the hilt of his sword and pressed the trigger on the wall behind him… and nothing happened. He pressed it again, and again, and again, his anger boiling over with each successive press.

His face contorted into that of an ugly monster, overtaken by rage and madness. "FINE! THEN I"LL JUST KILL YOU!"

Her response as he charged forward was nothing short of amazing, considering the small space and therefore short time to act. She gripped his sword between her two fists, and used the twisting motion and his own momentum to throw him over the side of the balcony and onto the stadium floor below. She quickly followed, the adrenaline masking her injuries and covering the pain as she landed. Though, she was sure Megumi would kill her for jarring her ribs like that, if this fight didn't first.

She descended upon him and he floundered to regain his senses, surprised and dazed by the fall. He barely blocked her attack as it swung down towards his head and he rolled away from the following kick. Using the momentum of the roll to pull him once again into a standing position, he squared off his stance.

Kaoru responded in kind, using the moment to read her opponent and his next move. "You didn't break me! You will never break me! I am the WIFE of Himura Kenshin! I am the daughter of Kamiya Koshijiro. I am Kamiya Kaoru and to you I will not BEND!"

And like a spark, their fight ignited and they erupted in an old dance of death and blades over the wrecked arena floor. Kaoru was grateful for the steel core to her bokken as their fight blended into a series of attacks, blocks, parries, and evasions. And as their sword battle expanded across the floor, their verbal battle continued as well.

"I supposed I should thank you though Fukuki. All of your merciless fights only served to strengthen my endurance, hone my skills, and sharpen my focus. You have helped grow the strength of the Kamiya-Kasshin ryu. I am sure my father is grateful."

"Your father was a murderer! The Kamiya Devil slaughtered everyone in my squad! I deserve my Revenge!"

Kaoru blocked his wild swing with the hilt of her bokken. Stepping into his center line, she proceeded to elbow him in the ribs, jaw, step out, and then slam her bokken over his back. He crashed to the ground and Kaoru towered over him.

"My father was a Solider! You were a traitor! A mere revolutionist who wanted to bring the country back into discord, darkness and chaos! My father mourned for the lives he took in battle; I saw it everyday in him. He was tired of the useless history of death that swords had participated in over countless eons. He fought to create a world where a sword could be used to protect life rather than take it. It was not his choice to return to the killing fields of war, but even in death, he used his sword to protect the lives of his comrades. I could not imagine a more honorable death for him! My father was a swordsman, like my husband. He knew very well what a sword was for; that he would not have the luxury of living in the world that he wanted to help create. He was not that selfish a man. My father wanted to create a better world for me to live in, for my children, for all future generations. He no longer wanted to see the hands of young men stained with the blood of their brothers. In a world of black ships and foreign powers pressing in upon us, is it so wrong to want to use our nation's greatest strength to build up its people rather than tearing it down? I and his art was his atonement to the world!"

"Then atone!" Out of his sleeve, which was concealed by his body splayed on the floor at her feet, he drew a hidden blade and thrust it into her leg. As her scream pierced the still air, he used her distraction to run to his sword.

In another part of the stadium, Kenshin began to leap to his wife's aid as fights broke out all around the stadium. Yahiko was engaged in a fight with Fukuki's first thug, while Yutaro emerged to take care of the second. While their opponents were large, and strong, neither were really a match for the two and Kenshin expected the fight would be over soon enough. Sano was busy ushering patrons out into the streets where Saito and his team were waiting to detain them. Kenshin growled when he noticed Kaoru leaping towards Fukuki, rather than Sano pulling her safely away as the plan instructed; however, he would deal with that later.

As he prepared to leap into action, like a jaguar to its prey, he was surprised by the hand that closed over his shoulder. "What Aoshi?" he bit out.

Aoshi simply shook his head. "Kenshin, anyone who carries a sword knows well that there are two kinds of fights. The fight to protect life, and the fight to protect honor. She is fighting to protect her and her father's honor. We cannot interfere."

Kenshin took a moment to watch his wife fight, really watch her. She was beautiful. She was strong. She commanded the floor like a demi-god, pure and powerful. She held her own against Fukuki in a way that he was not able to months ago, but with every passing moment she was growing tired. One ill placed blow to her injured ribs could be fatal. And as the daze of the first series of attacks wore off, Fukuki was becoming strong, more like the mad man he had fought those months back. Fukuki was using the fight to ground and calm his emotions, and that made him dangerous. Kenshin was sure this was not a fight she could win alone.

Kenshin brushed Aoshi's hand off, not ungently, and responded to his friend. "To her this may be a fight for honor, but to me it is a fight to protect life. One is more important than the other. I will not sit back and simply watch."

Kaoru's left knee crumpled to the floor as both hands shot out to her injured right calf. Thankfully the blade was small, but the muscle damage would greatly hinder her in battle. She tried to quickly remove the blade from her leg, but Fukuki was quicker. As she pulled the blade out he bore down on her with a deadly swift slash. She raised her bokken to block, knowing that the superior downward force of his attack would likely sever it in two. Bracing for the impact, they were both surprised when rather than slicing through wood and flesh, Fukuki's sword meet the hard steel of another katana, before quickly removing itself as he leapt back.

He stood before her, red hair like fire and blood, his faded red gi, and an aura scorching the very air around him. He was fire, beauty, rage, and most importantly ok.

"Kenshin." His name slipped from her lips almost like a reverent prayer. It was as though he were a mere illusion and to say his name to loudly would dispel it.

"Hi Kaoru-dono. When this is over, let's go home."

And as she smiled up at him, there was truly only one answer that she could give. "I am home."

Kenshin smiled as he looked over his shoulder nodding his head.

"Sano, Please tend to Kaoru-dono while I take care of this." His voice, while no louder than normal, carried across the stadium with the sheer weight he put into it. And then without looking back, he soared into battle.


	23. Chapter 23

"So the honorable samurai rushes head long into danger once again to save his lady?" Fukuki taunted Kenshin as he parried Kenshin's downward diagonal attack then quickly shifted his katana for his counter.

"I am simply here to take back what is mine," Kenshin growled. "Ryu Kan Sen! And I am no Samurai."

Fukuki managed to block the attack, barely, but the force of it flung him backwards across the arena. He used the momentum as he hit the ground to roll back to his feet, tucking his head in the process. "You fell before my feet before. What makes you think you stand a chance against me now?"

"I've been practicing."

Kaoru sat there dumbfounded for a moment, enraptured by the sight in front of her. There was Kenshin, her husband, dancing across the floor in a way that she had not witnessed for years. It appeared as though a wild, red flamed beast had descended upon the arena. He moved so quick, all that was clearly visible was his red mane swirling around his head. What mesmerized her though was the power, speed, fineness, and unparalleled technique of his style; a style that she thought was all but lost to him now. But here before her, it was like nothing had changed; no time had passed at all. This was nothing like that fight all those long months ago within the darkness of her dojo. That night of shattered glass when a reality of a past that she didn't even know existed fell before her feet in pieces.

Her husband was dominating the fight; however, Fukuki was not relenting. Kaoru knew that Kenshin would prevail; he was uninjured and had obviously re-gained his former power. Shishio and Enishi ultimately could not stand against her husband, this upstart held no chance. Regardless, Fukuki continued to press on. The fight between the two men was vicious. Kenshin, relentlessly attacking Fukuki, was pressing him far to the other side of the field and away from his wife. Fukuki, was tenacious and presenting a much better defense than anyone could have guessed. Theirs was a dance of attacks, parries, blocks, and deadly blows. Like her husband, Fukuki was a warrior born from the fields of blood, bone, and death. Yes, ultimately her husband would win this fight, she had faith in that, but at what cost? She had never let Kenshin shoulder life's burdens alone; she would not start now when the burden was ultimately hers to carry.

"Sano, help me stand."

Sano paused, the field dressing he was applying to her leg only half applied. He knew that look, her look. She was about to do something stupid. She was transfixed on the fight behind him with a fire burning in her eyes. It was clear that "standing" did not mean "leaving." He raised one single eye brow at her before he looked at the more important task at hand.

"Sano." Kaoru placed a hand firmly on his shoulder as she tried to lift herself up.

Sano didn't stop his ministrations, didn't even bother to look up, he simply shrugged off her hand. As he finished tying the final knot, he took his large hand and held her down. "No Kaoru."

Kaoru gave Sano her best glower, and she tried to push his hand off and stand anyway. It just made Sano hold her down more fiercely with both hands. His fingers dug uncomfortably into her shoulders as he looked at her with a slight crazed desperation. "No Kaoru. We are all in this crazy mess because you couldn't trust him. You will sit here, safe, and let us help you."

Kaoru shook her head, trying to dispel her surprise. Sano's words were so sharp, she could almost feel them as a physical slap. "No. That wasn't it at all!"

He cut in before she could say anything more. "Yes! That is exactly what it was Jo-Chan! You didn't trust him to protect himself, to protect you, your child, and your life. So your self-sacrificing stupidity knocked him out and offered yourself up as the sacrificial lamb! You have no idea the hell that decision of yours has put him through, put your son through, put your friends through, and put me through!"

Sano could tell his words were having an effect as tears silently streamed down her face. "Kaoru, do not underestimate our love for you."

For the first time since this craziness began, she looked around the stadium. She could see a few police officers directing the remnants of the spectators out of the arena and to safety. Aoshi, Misao, and Saito of all people, were standing around the arena in almost equal distances. It took Kaoru a moment to realize they must be guarding the bombs. She couldn't help but smile as her over enthusiastic friend noticed her gaze, and started waving wildly. Aoshi, observant as always, turned his head and nodded in her direction. Yutaro and Yahiko, back to back, were cleaning up the last of the thugs. It was quite a sight to behold. They fought perfectly together. For all of their bickering, it was clear they trusted each other completely. Seeing them fight like that reminded her of another certain pair of "brothers."

Even with all of his years away, it was obvious that Kenshin trusted Sano as much today as he did all those years ago, otherwise he would have never left her in his care. She was actually a bit surprised that Sano hadn't run out to join Kenshin in the fight. She doubted the years running around the globe had curbed his appetite for a good fight.

Firmly grabbing the hand he still had secured on her shoulder, she pleaded, "Then please Sano. If you won't let me help him, they you should at least be out there. Go help him!"

"No Jo-chan. He doesn't need my help, and he has trusted me with something far more precious."

Kaoru shook her head, slightly frantic to make him understand. "You don't know Fukuki Sano. He is insane. He will do anything to win!"

Her sentence was almost prophetic; not even a second after she finished her statement, Fukuki flung a hidden kunai from his robes directly into Kenshin's shoulder. She could hear his grunt as his right foot instinctively stepped back with the impact to steady his balance. Without ever losing his grip on his sword, he reached up, removed the dagger, and threw it into the arena wall far away.

Kaoru's heart bled with her husband as she noticed the drops of blood hit the ground near his feet. As she glared at Sano, her face said the, "I told you so!" that her mouth wouldn't.

Unrelenting he replied, "He is fine Jo-chan. Much more so than you I am afraid."

"I am FINE!"

"YOU ARE NOT!"

She flinched as his reply exploded out of his mouth, reverberating around the arena.

"Kaoru, you are not. Your ribs are broken; your leg is seriously injured. You have multiple cuts and abrasions all over you. You are tired and weak. You have endured enough little sister. Let me protect you, Kenshin can protect himself."

Indignant that once again her closest friends were looking down on her as a helpless maiden, she couldn't help the childish reply, "I can take care of myself!"

Sano's eyebrow cocked up as he replied, "Obviously."

It was almost Saito like Kaoru thought.

"Look Jo-chan. I know you can take care of yourself, Kenshin knows it, the kid knows it. We have never doubted that. Ever."

"Then why do you always push me to the rear. Why do you never let me fight with you?"

"Because we can't live without you Jo-chan. None of us could really ever live if we let anything happen to you, Kenshin especially. How quickly you forget that we once lived in a world we believed no longer held you in it; it is not something I think I could survive again. We keep you at a distance not because we don't trust you, but because we are protecting ourselves. It is purely selfish on our part."

"So you expect me to stay at home like a good wife with the fear of whether my family well ever come home or not?"

"No. Never. Your place is by our side. Always. But Kaoru, you scare us sometimes. Your heart is sometimes larger than your brain. You are too independent for your own good. Your emotions drive you and before we know it, you have yourself trapped in a life or death situation."

"I was just trying"

Sano didn't even let her finish. He pulled her into a strong hug, crushing her face into his chest and turning her eyes from the fight behind him. "I know. You were trying to protect everyone. You always try to protect everyone. But Jo-chan, you once told Megumi that in order to protect Kenshin's happiness, you wouldn't allow yourself to die. I am telling you now that isn't good enough; you have to stay with us always. You have no idea what these last few weeks have been like for us. It was like a piece of our soul was missing. We are a family Jo-chan, and families stick together. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I wasn't here to help you when you needed it most."

As Sano held her, she could feel his body shake with the force of his emotions. His arms were wrapped around her like a vice, gentle but firm and unyielding. Sano was always a rock in Kaoru's eyes; he was strong, steady, unmoving. Sano never doubted anything, and addressed every situation with an overabundance of self-confidence. To feel him now shaking as he held her in his arms was like someone throwing ice water in her face. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him as firmly as her ribs would allow. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry Sano."

When they were all home, safe, she knew they would have to continue this conversation. Kaoru knew she had to rely on her family more; however, they could no longer expect her to wait on the side lines while they risked their lives. They had earned her trust, and now they had to trust her in return. But for now, she knew Sano was right. She was in no position to fight, so she would trust her family to protect each other. For now, she would settle for protecting Sano from himself.

She gently released her hug and pushed against his chest, signaling to him to release her. Once his arms unwrapped themselves from her waist, they settled on her shoulders. Kaoru gently took Sano's face in her hands and smiled warmly as she greeted him. "Welcome Home."

Sano kissed her gently on the forehead, and ruffled her hair as he pulled away and stood up again. Folding his hands in front of himself, he stood before her with his cocky grin once again firmly in place. "You know Jo-chan. There are easier ways to get my attention than getting kidnapped."

Kaoru shook her head, exasperated, as she replied, "I'll keep that in mind for next time rooster head. Now will you please help me up? Or are you going to leave me on the floor all day?"

Sano cocked his head as he pondered it over. "I don't' know missy. You'll get into far less trouble down there."

"SANO!"

"All right. All right. Geeze." He knelt down next to her, wrapping his left arm around her waist as she placed her right arm around his shoulders. Slowly, he stood them up.

The battle was still going strong on the other side of the broken arena floor, but it was clear to Kaoru that it would be ending soon. Kenshin's attacks continued to press down on Fukuki, and it took everything the mad man had just to block Kenshin's onslot. What he didn't know is that Kenshin was clearly pushing him right where he wanted him. Blow by blow, Fukuki was being trapped between the Battousai and the towering wall behind him.

"Ryu Kan Sen!"

As Fukuki was hit with Kenshin's attack, his body flew back into the wall, putting quite a few feet between him and his foe.

"Do Ryu Sen!"

A wall of rock and debris flew towards Fukuki; he shielded his face momentarily losing track of his foe. It was a fatal error.

Kaoru smirked. The fight was over. As Fukuki struggled to peer through the dissipating cloud of debris, he failed to see the final attack. Kenshin was descending upon him like fiery heavenly justice.

"Ryu Tsui Sen!"

Silence hung in the air for a moment; time stood still for just that one second before Fukuki finally crumbled to the ground like a puppet who had finally had his strings cut. All the tension, nerves, and sheer adrenaline that kept her standing in Sano's arms drained straight out of her feet as his body hit the floor.

"Woah! Jo-Chan. You alright?" Sano struggled to keep her up for a minute, caught by surprise as her feet gave way underneath her. A few moments later, she re-steadied herself as Sano secured a tighter hold around her.

"It's over." The relief was evident in her voice. Kaoru felt like a large weight had finally been lifted off her chest, and for the first time in months, she could finally breathe.

Kenshin stood before his felled opponent, took a deep breath, and sheathed his sword once again. He shook his head, ever so slightly, before he turned back to his wife.

As he made his way across the shattered floor to his friend and wife, Kenshin gave his signature smile that was always tinged with just a hint of sadness. Kaoru valiantly fought back the tears forming in her eyes at the sight. There were too many days over these last long months where she wondered if she would ever see that smile again. Now she was overwhelmed by it all; everything would finally be all right. Her friends were with her once again; her long lost brother had finally wandered back home, and her husband was once again hers to hold.

Finally losing the battle, hot wet tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving streaks in the thin layer of dust coating her face from the day's events.

"Aw Jo-Chan, it's alright." Sano squeezed her slightly in a reassuring hug. She could feel the warmth of his love and friendship pass to her and envelop her.

Squeezing his shoulder slightly in return and smiling at him warmly, "I know. Finally."

Then Kenshin stopped in front of them, and cupping her face in his hands, brought her forehead to his lips placing a chaste kiss upon her. Then he brought their foreheads together, and closing his eyes, he breathed in the reassuring presence of his soul returned to him once again. He finally felt whole.

"Welcome Home."

And Kaoru laughed, a quick slightly delirious laugh touched with relief. "Yes. I am home."

It was as Sano repositioned her slightly to give a big final hug before handing her over to her husband that she saw it. Fukuki, across the arena, had recovered quicker than they had anticipated and had unsteadily returned to his feet. Her mind did not even have time to react; her arms moved without command.

Kenshin had moved slightly behind her right side in preparation to help her with her injured leg. However, as Sano bent over to cradle the back of her head in his right hand and place a kiss atop her head, he was pushed violently. He stumbled a few feet back, but the distance was just enough.

A soft thud as metal met flesh and muscle was heard. Her eyes met Fukuki's across the field as he erupted in laughter and euphoria. "I did it! I did it! I did it! HAHAHAHAHAHAH! I finally got my revenge! I did it! I killed a Kamiya!"

Time slowed as she looked down to the spot her hands had instinctively grabbed, protectively enveloping. There, embedded right below her naval, was a kunai. "Oh..." She tried to take a small step back to steady herself, forgetting that her leg was injured.

Kenshin stood behind her, rendered stupid and immobile by shock. There was no way this was happening. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She was safe, they were together, they would all go home. How did this happen? How did he not notice Fukuki behind him?

Time sped up again as she collapsed into her husband's arms. He gracefully guided her down, kneeling and holding her close to his chest supporting her with his left arm behind her back. His right hand was already struggling to apply pressure to the wound.

Sano could hardly process the scene in front of him. Again! Again he had failed to protect one of the most important people in his life. Instead Kaoru protected him; and now, now she lay in Kenshin's arms with blood flowing freely from the wound. It had already quickly saturated the pathetically thin clothing and was pooling on the ground below her. And as he looked across the arena at the source of the offending kunai, he could see the madman laughing at his glorious victory. Sano couldn't stop the building rage even if he wanted to, and in that moment he found he was sorely lacking the desire to try. It built in him like a tea pot until he was ready to explode.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

However, before he could even begin his first step across the field, Fukuki's head was already rolling down the slope of the crushed ground beneath him and away from his body. Before him stood Sojiro with a smile so laced with malice it sent shivers down Sano's spine. He quickly flicked the blood from his blade and placed it back in its scabbard. "You shall never touch Kaoru-san again."

Then, as quickly as it came, the rage left Sano and a hollow bottomless hole remained in its wake. He fell onto the ground next to his friends, on hands and knees, and punched the ground in frustration from the senselessness of it all.

Next to him, Kenshin shook his head back and forth, tears pouring down his face and onto her below. "No...No, No, No, No."

"Kenshin." Her already weak voice called to him.

"No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No."

"Kenshin." She weakly squeezed his hand before struggling to reach her shaking arm up towards his face. She could feel his whole body trembling as he held her. "It is ok Kenshin."

He gently grabbed her hand, cradling it to his cheek. He firmly ignored the feeling of the warmth slowly draining from that same hand. "Yes. You'll be ok. You're ok Kaoru."

"Kenji?"

"Safe. He is safe at home." He could feel her breathing becoming more labored and gently kissed her hand before placing it on her chest. He brought her up to his lips, kissing her chastely before placing her on the ground. "I'm sorry Kaoru, but I need to put more pressure on the wound."

"Its...Its ok. It...doesn't...hurt...anymore."

Kenshin struggled to beat back the fear that sentence invoked. He didn't need to be a doctor to know what that meant, shock. He had seen enough of it in the war to recognize it; it was not something he had ever wanted to see again.

I'm...sorry."

Kenshin shook his head back and forth. "We'll talk about this later."

"We should...have...fought...together."

Kenshin smirked at her. "Next time."

"Next... time?"

Kenshin chuckled quickly and quietly under his breath for just a second, "Kaoru, there is always a next time."

Kaoru tried to laugh, but all that came out in its place was this sickening gurgling wet sound as blood trickled from the corners of her mouth. Kenshin instinctively pressed harder as her breaths became even more shallow. Her skin was deathly pale as the ground became saturated with her blood.

"I..." Kaoru's eyes closed. She wanted to rest, just for a bit.

"Save you strength Kaoru."

She shook her head back and forth. No, there was something she wanted to say first. She remembered that much as her thoughts became muddled in the encroaching darkness. There was something important she wanted to say before she was pulled under.

"I...love...you...shin." Kaoru went limp as the last half formed word drifted from her lips.

"Kaoru? KAORU? Wake Up Kaoru. You have to stay awake Kaoru!" Kenshin tried to gently shake her back awake, and became more frantic and she failed to respond.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" Rivers were pouring down his face now and his chest heaved with his sobs. "Kaoru, you have to stay. You have to stay with me Kaoru!"

He leaned down, pressing a desperate hard kiss to her icy lips. "Kaoru? KAORUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Sano wasn't sure when Yahiko and Yutaro had joined him in his silent vigil by her side, none of them willing to intrude on the two. However, he was sure that for the rest of their days, the image of Kenshin screaming over his wife's prone form, his cheeks stained red by her blood, would forever be seared into their brains.


	24. Chapter 24

The morning dew was still fresh on the blades of grass, giving a faint shimmer to the dojo grounds like a thousand tiny precious gems had fallen from the heavens. A lone figure sat silently under the shadow of the porch next to a pillar; he could often be found there during his most introspective moments.

It looked like it might finally be a beautiful day; the weather for the last week was intimately linked with his mood it seemed. The dreary gray skies, heavy with mist and rain matched his mood perfectly. He took solace in the quite atmosphere of the early morning as he struggled to shake last night's nightmare from his mind. No, not a nightmare, but a vivid haunting memory which continued to replay every night for the last week. Every night he had woke up in a cold sweat as his subconscious mind taunted him with his failure. A shiver ran through his body from head to toe, though it was not from the cool morning air. The memories from last week washed over him once again, unbidden, as he was pulled back once again to those horrible bloody moments. It seemed even awake; he could not escape the nightmare.

Kenshin wasn't sure how long he knelt over his wife, as her life's blood continued to seep out of her wound. It could have been seconds, minutes, or even hours; he lost all sense of time as he plead with her to hang on just a little bit longer. He couldn't lose her, not again, not now. The blood was still on his cheek from where he had held her hand against his face; his once white hakama was now as crimson as his kimono in places. It made quite a gory sight to behold.

Kenshin didn't really remember Sano physically pulling him away from his wife, but Sano told him about it later and the black eye he was now sporting seemed to corroborate the tale. However, the doctor needed room to work; he had to get Kaoru stabilized before they could even think to move her. He was told after the fact, that shortly after decapitating Fukuki, Sojiro fetched the police field doctor. Kenshin was grateful for his quick thinking, and while he knew that he should be upset that Fukuki was killed, right now he felt that his ability to care was sorely lacking.

The days after that were harrowing and long; it was touch and go keeping Kaoru stable. Due to the location of the wound, the risk of infection was great and they couldn't risk giving her much more than water or weak broth as her digestive organs healed. Kenshin never left her side, not once. He remembered in vivid detail those first two excruciatingly long two days as she lay there in a coma as he prayed that she would return to him. He remembered the joy when close to dawn of the third day; she finally opened her eyes and smiled. His heart sank to the pits of despair as he recalled the terrifying fever that gripped her shortly after that, terrified that the infection that they had so diligently tried to avoid would finally succeed where the kunai had failed. Kaoru though was a fighter, she always had been, and she fought her way through. After a few more days of rest and recovery, everyone was finally able to return home yesterday. Kaoru wasn't fully healed, not by a long shot, but it was comforting that she was finally out of the woods. In time, she would be ok; however, Kenshin couldn't stop the flashbacks every time he closed his eyes. The trauma of what transpired reignited old fears that were slow to go away. So here he sat, on the porch outside of their room, trying to clear his mind and take comfort in her nearby presence.

What Kenshin was not expecting from Kaoru's adventure was the addition of a new friend. It seemed that she had made quite the impression on Sojiro during their weeks together. He had come by more than once to see how she was doing, tend to her wounds, and chat as old friends. She was rather surprised to learn that he was working with Saito rather than Fukuki, but was happy for it besides. When he finally departed, it was with the promise that he would visit as often as he was able. Kaoru tried to convince him to return to Tokyo with them, but he politely declined, explaining that his wandering was not yet complete. It seemed that the young man had finally found his own truth. While the two would never see completely eye to eye, regardless, Kenshin was glad for the new friend.

Back in the room, Kaoru was starting to stir. Half asleep still, she quietly felt around for her husband. When she could not locate him after several seconds, she finally relented and opened her eyes blinking back the morning light. She sighed upon recognizing that he was not yet there, realizing that he must have had another nightmare. She placed her arm over her eyes, shielding them from the light as she yawned. It seems that all of the events over the past few months had taken its toll on her husband; she suspected it would be quite some time before he could relax again. She was frustrated with herself, knowing that she was the one who stole his smile this time. She could try to blame it on Fukuki; however, Sano was ultimately right. It was her pride and independence that caused her to take that job on the train, which in turn led to Fukuki. Her lack of faith in her husband caused her to betray him and have herself ferried away from everyone she loved. Then to add insult to injury, it was not by her own power that she finally found herself home, but by the husband and friends she failed to rely on in the first place. She was a bit too much like her father she mused; it was ultimately these very same mistakes that took him from her. He relied too much on his own power to protect his comrades, rather than together with them.

However, what was more painful than all of that was knowing that it was not those truths that kept her husband awake at night and away from their bed. Instead, she knew that her husband blamed himself for it all. He carried the blame for not providing for his family well enough, which he was sure caused her to risk her life on the train. He blamed himself for becoming too complacent in life and therefore not protecting her from Fukuki. He was sure it was his incompetence that caused her to wallow away for two months on foreign lands and away from his side. She was certain he was carrying all the guilt for not protecting her from Fukuki's final attempt on her life as well. Kenshin was entirely way to gifted when it came his ability to place guilt upon himself; he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had a kind soul; perhaps to kind at times for this life. The cost of that kindness, strong sense of right and wrong, and duty meant that he carried the weight of his sins forever; even when they were not his to carry. If her husband was ever going to truly move forward, he was going to have to find a new way to walk into the future.

Kenshin wasn't the only one she had to worry about though. Kaoru wouldn't be lying admitting she that she had been rather surprised by Sano's strong reaction. She was happy to see him of course, but even before her injury, she was rather stunned at the strong emotions he displayed on the arena floor. It was pretty out of character for him to be so emotional; however, she had heard that his reaction was pretty volatile the last time she had "died." When she finally woke up, the first person she saw was her husband, the second was Sano. After her delirious fever had passed, Sano used one of the rare opportunities when Kenshin was sleeping to try to apologize to her. Kaoru had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't still swept up in the delirium of the fever; Sano saying sorry was not something anyone was used too. What transpired after that was a long intimate talk, probably much longer than should have been allowed given her condition. However, it was necessary for them both. By the end of the conversation, Kaoru was thoroughly chastised, and touched. It was clear how much he really cared, and how much Kaoru had terrified him. She couldn't help but feel honored by the immense importance he claimed she meant to them all, and he made her promise, more than once, that she would never do something "so stupid" ever again.

So in the end, Kenshin, Sano, and she all blamed themselves for what happened. Ironically it was the youngest of them all who showed the most wisdom.

As soon as her condition was stabilized, Yahiko and Yutaro notified Kaoru that they would head back first to continue lessons. She was relieved to see that they were alright, and overjoyed that the three of them were together again. Those two young men meant so much to her; she would literally go to hell and back for them. That didn't mean that Yahiko was going to let her off the hood lightly though. Before he left, he had that conversation he promised himself they would have all those weeks ago.

"That was pretty stupid, even for you ugly."

Kaoru turned her head towards the sound, noticing Yahiko enter into the room and take a seat by her bed. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees as he took her hand in both of his. He looked far more rested than Kenshin or Sano, but she could still see the ghosts of worry etched in the lines of his face. She rolled her eyes and smiled before responding.

"Thank Yahiko-chan. I didn't know."

Yahoko blew the jab off, falling into old routines. "Yeah well, Yutaro was worried."

Kaoru quirked her eyebrow, "Just Yutaro huh?"

"Yeah, I knew it wasn't anything the Master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu couldn't handle."

Kaoru squeezed his hand slightly in a reassuring manner. "Thanks. I could only handle it because I knew I had such an awesome assistant master."

"Yeah, just remember that I'm only the assistant master. I'm not ready to take over the school yet. So you better start taking better care of yourself. The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was created to protect life, and there is more to life than simply staying alive Kaoru. If you want to protect the lives of those around you, you need to protect their happiness. You can't protect their happiness if you aren't there."

"Said like a true master. I am sorry Yahiko."

He looked out the small window for a moment to collect his thoughts before responding, "I know why you did it. I think we all know why you did it. But you need to understand and remember one thing. You are more than the wife of Battousai, the mother of Kenji, the friend of Zanza, or my sister. You are more than the Master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu or the daughter of Koshijiro Kamiya. You are Kaoru Kamiya, and Kaoru Kamiya has always been our most trusted comrade. There has never been a single time that you were kept from the battle and treated like a doll to be protected; there were only times where you were trusted with the protection of something else. We might not always fight back to back, but that does not mean that anybody's role is any less important than the other. That is what makes us a family. Never doubt our trust in you, so please do not doubt your trust in us."

And with his peace said, he kissed Kaoru on her forehead and went back to Tokyo to watch over the school that meant so much to the both of them. Kaoru had never been more proud. She knew then that she had been a fool in too many ways.

She was derailed from her thoughts for a moment as she heard the shoji screen open from outside and Kenshin quietly stepped in, closing it again behind him.

"You should be resting Kaoru-dono, that you should."

Kaoru scowled, "I think I've had enough rest for a year. All I have been doing is resting for the last week non-stop Kenshin." Kaoru punctuated her frustration with a rather audible huff.

Kenshin carefully sat down beside her, taking her hand gently in his own. He started rubbing his thumb up and down her hand absent mindedly.

"You need to give yourself time to heal Kaoru-dono. Your body has been rather abused over these last few months, that it has."

"I know. I know Kenshin. But I am not used to all this lying around. I'm bored!"

Kenshin quirked an eye at her. "One would think you have had enough adventure. Kami knows I have. I think you shortened my life by 100 years."

Kaoru rolled her eyes, "Now you will simply live a normal life span. You're welcome."

They both started to laugh at the joke, but the joviality was cut short when Kaoru gasped in pain and quickly grabbed her stomach. "Ouch. Reminder to self, no laughing." Kaoru looked at her husband, who was squeezing her hands slightly painfully. She frowned at the haunted expression in his eyes. "I'm ok."

He just nodded his head, trying to convince himself of the truth of her words.

"I am sorry Kenshin. I'm sorry that I didn't understand the trust you all had in me before; I am sorry that I didn't trust in my own self-worth. I always measured myself against you, Sano, Aoshi, and the others; I was frustrated that I always came up short in my own eyes. It never occurred to me that you didn't see it that way. It didn't dawn on me that you had as much faith in me that I had in you, and therefore the necessity to prove myself was non-existent."

Kenshin leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her lips. "I know Kaoru-dono. And for my part, I am sorry that I did not help you to see it sooner, that I am."

"None of this is your fault Kenshin."

Kenshin shook his head, "It is not yours. I should have realized your feelings sooner. I should have protected you better; your body was still recovering from your prior wounds, that it was."

Kaoru let the frustration seep into her voice, "Kenshin, you do not have to carry the guilt of the world alone. I bear equal fault, they were my miss-guided decisions."

Kenshin had gone back to absent mindedly rubbing her hand; she could tell what she was trying to convey was not sinking in.

"Kenshin, you once said, 'A Sword is a Weapon. Kenjutsu is the art of killing. Whatever pretty workds you use to speak of it, this is its true nature. What Kaoru-Dono says are words of one who has naver dirtied her hands. A Utopian ideal.'"

"Hai, that I did."

"Do you still believe that?"

"Hai, though with the next generation I can see it becoming a reality."

"My father killed many men. I knew that even before I was taken; it is the life of a samurai. My father was also the man who founded the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu; he single handily formed and taught the belief that a sword can be more than a tool of murder. After all of the killing, my father came to believe that a sword could save the lives around it without having to sacrifice others. It was something that he had to believe in, a dream that HAD to become a reality. At the core of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu is the belief that a sword is just a tool; nothing more and nothing less. The true purpose of the tool is determined by the heart of the one that wields it. This really isn't so different from what you practice now is it not?"

Kenshin's eyes rounded in surprise, for some reason the correlation caught him by surprise, but he could see the truth in her worlds. "No. That it is not."

Kaoru took Kenshin's hands in hers, and made sure he was looking her in the eyes before she continued. This was important, and she needed him to see the truth of the words all the way down to her very soul.

"Kenshin, I do no regret a single moment of your life, just like I do not regret a single moment of mine. I miss my father, I always will; however, if he was still alive, I would have never went out looking for Battousai that night. Even if I had met you, I would have never invited you into my home. Every painful moment of your past just put you one step closer to me, and I wouldn't trade that for the world. You would not have met and loved Tomoe without the war. You would not have wandered without the loss of Tomoe. We would have never met if you hadn't wandered. Without the war, and Tomoe, you would have never found your non-killing oath. Your past is what makes you Kenshin, the man I love. Your pain has helped you to save countless lives and empathize with the pain of others. You saved my life, Yahiko's, Yutaro's, Megumi's, Sano's, Misao's, Aoshi's, and the whole country. I am not saying that I take joy in the pain of your past, or the lives that were lost bringing you to this point. However, every life is precious including yours. Instead of living the rest of your life in regret and guilt, thank the sacrifices of those who helped bring you to this point. Thank them for helping make you the man you are today, the man who can bring happiness to so many lives. Thank them for Kenji, the best thing you ever gave this world.

However, knowing this isn't enough to ease the suffering of your soul; my father knew this. He used to say you lost a piece of yourself with each life you took. That is why he formed the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu. It is a system to revitalize the soul; it was a system to revitalize his soul. It could be a system to revitalize you soul. To re-build what was lost.

Kenshin, would you like me to teach you the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu?"

The wonder, love, and peace shown in his eyes for the first time in months gave her the only answer she ever needed to know.


End file.
